Protecting Yourself During The Holiday Shopping Season

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The holiday shopping season is on, and for crooks, that means more people carrying around more money.

CBS2's Cindy Hsu explained what you can do to protect yourself.

Dave Ordini teaches Krav Maga, which is an Israeli self-defense technique. On Thursday, he helped train employees from Mozilla and Firefox.

He said there are certain crimes to watch out for -- especially during the holiday season.

"Being grabbed and forced to an ATM machine -- that can happen a little bit more often during this holiday season," Ordini said. "I might grab your bags or I might grab your purse or your wallet."

Speaking of bags, Hsu said she always thought it was safer to wear it across her body so it would be tougher for crooks to steal. Ordini said that is not a good idea.

"The problem with wearing this bag cross is that if I pull, you can't get out of it," he said.

He said it is a better idea to wear it over your shoulder.

"If I grab this bag a pull, you can let it go and I got your bag and I can run. You can run," he said.

Also, now is a great time to take a picture of all the important cards in your wallet -- print it out, keep the copy at home, and make sure you delete the picture from your phone. That way if you do get robbed, you have a record of all the cards you need to shut down.

Ordini also teaches his students to use their hands to hit the groin area instead of the knee, which can throw you off balance. He is also big on gouging your attacker's eyes.

Students say they feel stronger.

"As a woman, it's important to know, because as we've seen, things are happening or are reported more and more, and if there's a way to deescalate the situation and then also defend yourself if you have to, it's important to know," said Alyson Higgins-Halfpenny.

"I'm so excited – I can't; I'm going to reach out to all my friends, like, build on this knowledge, and I can be more prepared," said Hope Angel Williams.

Ordini said the more confidence you show, the less likely you'll be a target.