do it yourself
Defense mechanisms
Prepare yourself mentally and physically in case of an attack. BY MAGGIE KOERTH
Alexa Redford used to walk home from work through the alleys between Tennessee and Kentucky streets. But for nearly two months the Prairie Village senior has driven the short distance. She says she is afraid of being attacked again. On Sept. 17, Redford was walking when a man pushed her against a wall and began to fondle her. Although her first response was to freeze in fear, Redford quickly began to fight back, kicking, biting and hitting her attacker. She screamed for help and when he hit her, she fought harder. Eventually, she managed to chase him off.
Redford's experience isn't unique. From the beginning of January to the end of March 2003, Lawrence police recorded 11 rapes, seven forcible fondlings, 60 aggravated assaults and 202 simple assaults, according to the Kansas Incident Based Reporting System Statistics. Redford took her safety into her own hands and didn't wait for someone to help her. Paula McCallum, executive director of The American Women's Self-Defense Association (AWSDA), says your personal survival begins and ends with you. Taking the time to learn even just the basics of self-defense is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. It isn't as hard as it sounds.
For one thing, three-fourths of self-defense is mental, not physical. Tom Moser is a police officer who owns Tactical Concepts, Inc., a self-defense center in Rolla, Mo. His center is the closest facility to Lawrence that is licensed through the AWSDA. Moser says a developing a survivor mentality is the best thing a person can do to protect herself. Redford didn't know any self-defense techniques and she'd never been trained in martial arts, but she did have the will to survive. Redford says she considers herself an activist and feminist. "I had this mindset to be angry that things like this happened to women," she says.
RESOURCES
Lawrence and Kansas City have many martial arts schools. These are resources to get you in contact with self-defense specialists.
American Women's Self Defense Association: www.awsda.org.
Tom Moser's Tactical Concepts, Inc. - He has offered to teach classes at the University of Kansas for large groups such as sororities or student organizations. He can be reached at www.taccal.com.
Impact of Kansas City - Self-defense training facility. 4030 Broadway Ave., Kansas City, Mo., (816) 931-8022.
While mace, guns and switchblades are commonly thought of to secure safety, knowing self defense techniques can ensure students safe outings in Lawrence.
"I remember just being furious when it happened to me. Feeling that, instead of being afraid, it helped me not to freeze up." Moser says the survival mindset also affects how you present yourself. He sights research done in federal prisons that found criminals were more likely to attack a police officer if the officer's demeanor or appearance gave the impression of weakness.
Photo illustration by Kit Leffler/Kennan
Also keep in mind that self-defense isn't the same as martial arts. Both require training, even the mentality of survival has to be taught, but martial arts is just that, an art, and it takes years of training to learn. Erin Osbourn, Olathe senior, has been training in Tai Kwon Do for 12 years. She says some moves a person could learn easily (SEE SIDEBAR), but Tai Kwon Do is more of a sport and a lifestyle and isn't necessarily focused on teaching street skills.
In contrast, self-defense training cuts right to the heart of what you absolutely need to know if you are attacked. McCallum says the goal of this self-defense training is to enable people to
protect themselves against a bigger stronger, faster opponent. A self-defense training class might be as short as eight hours, but it still provides students with options for defending themselves. The
more options you have, the more likely you'll be able to defend yourself. Look for classes taught by certified self-defense trainers. Although people can teach themselves the survivor mentality, as
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thursday, december 4, 2003