The NSA Women-Safe Network started offering self-defense programs from the River Valley close to two decades back, and I’ve presented several danger awareness workshops and conference talks in churches, schools, and to civic groups. Sadly, crimes against women are on the upswing in america, yet most women give no thought to how they would defend themselves from an attacker until it’s too late.
Be aware
I’ve found that most women aren’t “danger aware” and are too busy living life to take notice of the environment and spot potential dangers. They’re more focused on getting the children to college, buying groceries, managing a career (or a house ) then they’re on figuring out how to defend themselves. Every day all of us face unsafe circumstances, and occasionally, we are to blame by careless or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong moment.
As I’ve talked with rape victims that have taken our self sustaining classes, I’ve discovered that many were (admittedly) just not paying attention to their environment and inadvertently place themselves into a situation where they could be cared for; and when attacked, they didn’t know how to respond to shield themselves. And they now dwell with the memory of the act of violence on their individual for the rest of their lives.
Let’s see…
So how important is it for women to understand self-defense today? · 3 out of 4 domestic homicides occurred after the victim left the (abusive) relationship. Studies tell us less than 1/3 of all rapes are reported to government, so the numbers we have available are just the”tip of the iceberg”. Violent acts against women can happen at any time and place, and the frequency of attacks against women in America is on the increase.
This stresses the importance of learning how to spot potential threats before they happen, and learning how to defend yourself if you be the goal of an assailant. Women can be targeted at home, while traveling or shopping. Assaults against girls know no age group, ethnic background, size or shape. Domestic violence against women has become the new”normal” in several sections of America.
Date rape
The use of “date rape” drugs is on the increase in many areas of the nation, and makes it much easier for a sexual assault to occur (while often leaving the victim with no memory of this event). Simply learning how to recognize possible dangers, and how to minimize your risk of being targeted is an essential “hazard awareness” principle that’s often ignored or overlooked in the hustle and bustle of a normal day.
Learning self-defense is essential for women of all ages, and it might make the difference between being a victim or not. There are quite a few good books, in addition to videos and DVDs that highlight the topic, but the advantages of learning with a professional instructor can’t be stressed enough. A book or video can teach you self improvement methods, but a skilled instructor can help you learn how to correctly use the techniques in many different situations, and fix problems in mechanics or program to produce a technique more effective. Instruction may vary, with some 1-2 hour introductory self-defense classes that teach basic countermeasures to common attack scenarios.
Conclusion
Others, such as the Women-Safe program, focus on a more holistic approach, teaching technique, programs, and providing broader”situational awareness” instruction in a multi-week setting. Any sort of self-defense training is far better than not training in any way. The main thing is for women to educate themselves about the possible risks they face (by any and all means necessary), and learn how to take proactive actions to minimize their risk of being a victim. The risks women face are real, and it’s necessary to do something to prepare.