A Follow Up on Recent Women’s Self Defense Incidents
In the last 2 weeks since teaching our most recent self defense class, I have learned of three incidents, two local and one personal, that remind me of why I teach this class, and how beneficial it is. One of the main themes I teach in the class is situational awareness. This means being aware of what is going on around you, and having the tools to be able to react to those situations.
The first incident I heard about happened in California off the Big Sur highway. A woman was driving her vehicle, swerved, and went off the cliff and crashed onto the beach 200 feet below. With the water coming into the vehicle, she reached down, grabbed her emergency hammer, and was able to cut her seatbelt, break the side window, and crawl out to safety. Part of the Women’s Self Defense class includes information about items you can carry, in your car and on your person. I always recommend that participants get one of these emergency hammers. Clearly for their intended purpose, they can save a life. Even in a self defense scenario, swinging a hammer with a sharp end is better than nothing. Find a link here to one on Amazon. BlueSkyBos Value 2 Pack - Emergency Escape Tool Auto Car Window Glass Hammer Breaker and Seat Belt Cutter Escape 2-in-1 Tool
The second incident, happened two block from my house, and sadly does not have a positive ending. A woman was returning home to her apartment in the early morning hours. A man with a gun accosted her in the stairwell, forced her to the rear of the building and sexually assaulted her. I don’t know all the details of what happened. Would some sort of self defense training have helped her? Maybe. Had she been more aware of her surroundings would this have happened? Who knows?! However, if she had the knowledge of not going to crime scene number 2, understanding that something is not right about a guy in a hood outside an apartment building at 6:00am, and having the awareness to process all of this and defend herself, maybe this tragedy could have been avoided. These are ALL topics I cover in detail in the Women’s Self Defense class.
The third, and more personal story, happened to a friend as she left a local sporting goods store. While walking to her car, she realized that from out of nowhere came a teenager right up behind her and started walking uncomfortably close to her. Knowing her situation, and confidence in herself from taking these classes, she whipped around, struck him with the item she was carrying and confronted him, asking “Tailgating much?!” Now I certainly don’t teach sass in my class, however, being emboldened with the skill she had, understanding the situation she was in, and how to appropriately respond, saved her from something that could have gone downhill. By confronting the teenager, who immediately turned and ran away, she showed that she was not a weak target. Part of the class is understanding that predators like easy and weak prey. She is neither! And that is what saved her.
We cover a lot in a self defense class. From grabs, chokes, hair pulling, gun and knife defense techniques, active shooters, as well as understanding what situational awareness means, and more importantly how to increase yours. By knowing what is going on around you, having the tools to save yourself, and most importantly having the confidence and education to use those tools, is truly life saving. From offering classes quarterly, to even offering private one on one self defense training, we here at AIM Human Performance are here to keep you strong, safe, and aware