I couldn't pass up a free self-defense class at the gym today. It was offered as part of April being Sexual Assault Awareness month. The class was excellent, and I wish it could have lasted all day! Not only was it a good workout, but, even more importantly, I learned basic techniques for getting out of grips/holds and kicking the snot out of a "bad guy."
The instructors were all trained in martial arts and let us students (all females and one male) practice getting free from their grips, knocking them to the floor, and hitting them where the sun don't shine (they did say they were all wearing manhood protection devices).
Besides learning some important self-defense moves, my take-home advice from the instructors was the number one factor in winning against an attack is mental attitude. How well can you keep a calm mind and focus on what you need to do to escape? The second most important factor is physical conditioning. Also, listen to your intuition. By doing so, you may get yourself out of a sticky situation. That inner voice is the first step to developing good survival skills.
Shocking statistics:
- One physical assault is committed every 7 seconds.
- One rape/sexual assault is committed every 2 minutes.
- 50 women are victimized by an intimate partner every hour.
- And a child is reported as abused or neglected every 35 seconds.
Not a happy thing to write, but I felt both saddened and infuriated when I learned of these numbers. You can find more information at The National Center for Victims of Crime.
I would love to take more self-defense classes. There's more I could learn. I left today's class with a greater appreciation of self-defense tactics, both to prevent and escape a potentially deadly situation. And I arrived home to practice what I learned on my husband... gently, mind you! 
Originally posted 2008-04-18 17:58:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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6 comments ↓
I took a Rape Aggression Defense class last year. Our “test” was a huge rush but also kind of scary. After a semester of practicing, we took on these huge guys (who were wearing so much protective gear they looked like space bugs). We got helmets and elbow/knee pads. Apparently I swear a blue streak when being attacked…but I managed to escape each time.
We also spent time learning statistics, discussing safety strategies, laws, etc. We also learned about child molestation and how to recognize the signs and such.
Sounds like a great course! I would love to take something like that.
Oh, I can just imagine getting the adrenaline rush and turning into a mad woman!
I love self-defense classes! I’ve only ever taken one, in a high school gym class, but it was great. It’s amazing what you’re capable of when you use your full strength against someone.
Those stats are very disturbing… it’s a good thing that there ARE such things as self-defense classes just in case something like that happens.
What I find interesting is that even petite women can fight off a big guy… if they know what to do. Two instructors did a demo for us at the beginning of the class: a big guy and a petite woman. That tiny lady was able to get out of every grip the guy had on her. She was trained in martial arts, and I believe that helps tremendously!
I gained a lot of confidence from my self-defense class. What I found depressing was the attitude of some of the women. It was a women-specific self-defense class, but some women were afraid to even try getting out of a grip. One woman said she might ‘break a nail.’ And a lot of the women didn’t want to take the final, where big strong (and very kind and brave!) men allowed us to practice defending ourselves.
The two important things I learned were to work on my attitude and to be able to give a good clear “No!” if I needed to. More women should take these classes!
I’d rather break a nail ANY day over succumbing to an attacker! (My nails aren’t long anyway!)
Yes, the instructors were strong and knew how to fight, but they were also kind, gentle, and encouraging us to fight hard. Fortunately I didn’t see many timid student in this class. Most of us tried to kick the tar out of the “bad guys”… and it was fun!
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