Self-defense classes

[Equipped_4_Love]

Have any of you ladies taken any self-defense classes?

I live alone, and not in the best neighborhood, and a self-defense class is offered at my church. I am wondering if this might be beneficial?

[Frecs]

What are they going to teach you? There are various approaches to self-defense.

I've not had officical classes...picked up advice here and there... I do think women need to know how to defend themselves.

[Equipped_4_Love]

I think it's some kind of martial arts, or something.

I used to play ice hockey (played goalie) several years back, so I sort of know some moves, but I also know its been a while, and I'm not as strong as I used to be.

I'm thinking this might be a good way to get my reflexes back into gear.

[Frecs]

Just my opinion but it seems to me that studying martial arts is a long process before you get to where you can really defend yourself. I seem some classes that teach techniques and then have you practice on a well padded "attacker" so that the moves become second nature. I've always wanted to take one of those...

[MercyChild]

I had been doing martial arts for about twenty years in diffrent styles and even done self defence while in the police force, but the moment I got mugged, it did not help me at all. From own experience be aware of martial arts. The devil sometimes fills us with fear, and that robs us from our freedom. Pray first about the fear you have inside of you.

[Frecs]

I had been doing martial arts for about twenty years in diffrent styles and even done self defence while in the police force, but the moment I got mugged, it did not help me at all. From own experience be aware of martial arts. The devil sometimes fills us with fear, and that robs us from our freedom. Pray first about the fear you have inside of you.

I think that was the reason some of these other classes came about...because you need to response by instinct before fear has a chance to cloud your reflexes. I agree that the devil will use things to try to fill us with fear. We need to confident, not afraid!

[Firefighter]

You either have a killer instinct or you do not. It is not something that can be taught. If you do have it, self defense classes can be good, if not, nothing will help.

[Frecs]

How do we know if we have the "killer instinct"? Or, if we have to ask that question does it mean we don't?

[Firefighter]

Well... I could tell you, but I would have to kill you.

[Frecs]

Well... I could tell you, but I would have to kill you.

You would have a fight on your hands!

[tango]

Have any of you ladies taken any self-defense classes?

I live alone, and not in the best neighborhood, and a self-defense class is offered at my church. I am wondering if this might be beneficial?

A lot of self defence classes can be more dangerous than helpful. A little knowledge is often a bad thing to have - if you know you're vulnerable you're (hopefully) more likely to be aware of your surroundings and avoid the situation in the first place. If you think you can "handle yourself" you're potentially more likely to be tested.

A female friend of mine at university went to a self defence class and one afternoon she mentioned to me that it was all very well throwing around other women of a similar size and build but she was concerned how useful her training would be if she were attacked by someone bigger and stronger. So, being significantly bigger and stronger than she was, I offered to test her skills for her.

So I grabbed her wrist and waited for her to make her move (that in itself is artificial, as an attacker wouldn't wait patiently to see what she would do). She responded as she'd been trained and within literally no more than a second or two I had her held close against me, her back to me, with one arm around her throat and the other restraining both her arms.

Obviously at that point I let her go but she wasn't in any doubt at all that an attacker wouldn't have done. No matter how good your skills in self defence / martial arts become you're always better off avoiding the situation in the first place.

[Frecs]

Tango, as I read your post I was thinking of a friend of mine, Jeaneen. She is all of 5 foot nothing. She worked in a juvenile detention center where on a regular basis she had to demonstrate for "new arrivals" that the other boys were right -- don't mess with Ms Jeaneen. She had learned how to put a larger man down even if they grabbed her as you did your friend, around the neck. She showed me the moves but even in slow motion I wouldn't remember them now. Which is the other thing...you have to practice to keep up the skills if/when you learn them.

I think you also have to consider what you are willing to do. For example, I roomed with Jeaneen for several years. During that time, there was a period of time when women in the area were being attacked in their condos/townhouses. One roommate would be raped at gun point while the other told if she did anything the roommate would be killed. Well, Jeaneen and I talked it over and decided that if we were in that scenario, the one not being attacked needed to call for help, attack the attacker, run...whatever the options are but not to just stand by. Others may not make the same decision.

One other thought, if an attacker grabs you and tries to take you away...sit or kneel down. It is better to be shot in a public place than taken off and raped and killed somewhere else. At least, in my book it is!

Thoughts???

[Firefighter]

Strength has little to do with dealing with an opponent. Given enough time (and the right person), I could teach a 13 year old girl to drop 90% of the men on this board.

That being said, most people do not spend enough time learning or practicing after such a class to do them any good. A self defense class (the kind offered at most churches) will only give someone a false sense of security.

[tango]

Tango, as I read your post I was thinking of a friend of mine, Jeaneen. She is all of 5 foot nothing. She worked in a juvenile detention center where on a regular basis she had to demonstrate for "new arrivals" that the other boys were right -- don't mess with Ms Jeaneen. She had learned how to put a larger man down even if they grabbed her as you did your friend, around the neck. She showed me the moves but even in slow motion I wouldn't remember them now. Which is the other thing...you have to practice to keep up the skills if/when you learn them.

If you have the skills and the presence of mind to use them when the situation demands that's great. The trouble with my friend was that she knew a little bit but when I'd overpowered her she froze and panicked, knowing that a real attacker could have done just about anything to her from there.

There were still a few things she could have done to encourage me to release her, but because her mind had frozen she couldn't think of any of them.

I think you also have to consider what you are willing to do. For example, I roomed with Jeaneen for several years. During that time, there was a period of time when women in the area were being attacked in their condos/townhouses. One roommate would be raped at gun point while the other told if she did anything the roommate would be killed. Well, Jeaneen and I talked it over and decided that if we were in that scenario, the one not being attacked needed to call for help, attack the attacker, run...whatever the options are but not to just stand by. Others may not make the same decision.

It's often easy to make a decision from a place of safety and then find yourself unable to follow through in a time of danger.

One other thought, if an attacker grabs you and tries to take you away...sit or kneel down. It is better to be shot in a public place than taken off and raped and killed somewhere else. At least, in my book it is!

A lot of good advice revolves around not being taken away. If you're in a public place with people around you can hope you'll be less likely to be shot. If you're taken away somewhere else you lose what little control you had. Someone who is crazed or high on drugs or something may have no qualms about continuing the attack in public but someone who isn't high is perhaps more likely to consider the implications of being seen, identified, or possibly shot by an armed passer-by.

One other interesting piece of advice is that if an attacker forces you to drive away in your own car, cause a minor traffic accident. If you run into the back of someone at a red light you have to exchange details, it focussed attention on you, on the car, on what has happened. You'll have to deal with the incident and insurance deductibles but that's better than being taken somewhere remote to be raped and killed.

[Equipped_4_Love]

So, then, it appears that the advice that I'm getting from this thread is not to bother with the classes?

I'm sure that there are perhaps some basic things, though, that may be able to help....at least give you an advantage. I know there are certain points on the body that, if struck, can bring a person down....like the nose, and a certain part of the throat. I'm not very good with the tricky maneuvers, which is what I think you were referring to, Frecs.

I'm also not out to kill anyone, either, and I know that when a person's trachea is hit, that person will suffocate. is that correct?

Anyhow, I think we all know that presence of mind is the best defense.