October 2006 Newsletter
MYTH BUSTING ABOUT PHYSICAL SELF-DEFENSE
Over the years what has been written and taught to women about what to do if physically attacked is sometimes confusing, contradictory, out-dated or just plain wrong. So this month I hope to ‘bust a few myths’.
Our world changed dramatically after 9-11, and as a nation we became acutely aware of our vulnerability. Although terrorism is a very real threat, most of us probably will never experience it firsthand. We do however need to close our vulnerability gap against potential threats to our personal safety as we are much more likely to be the victim of a personal crime on a local level. The potentialitly of being a crime victim means we should and need to become more vigilant and proactive with strategies and plans to put into action just in case an emergency does arise. Today’s criminals are more savvy, more ruthless, bolder, better equipped (internet, cell phones, etc.), less respective or fearful of authority, and much more violent than ever before. Now I do not believe we have to live a fear-based life --- quite the contrary. But neither can we live as if the Emperor is clothed when in fact he is not! I am here to tell you the Emperor (the real facts about crime in the USA) has no clothes and we must raise our safety consciousness and personally take action to be better prepared. Our schools practice safety drills in the event of a fire, and all of us having daily safety strategies is absolutely no different.
It is a fact that of the four major countries that report crime and rape statistics, the USA is last with the worst statistics. Our country has 4 x more rapes than Germany, 13 x more rapes than England and 20 x more rapes than Japan. Pretty sobering statistics, but very real hard facts nonetheless. So, this month’s Newsletter deals with the very real threats of physical self-defense and busting some long standing myths.
CHOOSING TO FIGHT BACK OR NOT
If you are in a situation where your last and only option is to fight back to defend yourself from an attack or a rape, the following is critically important to know. Fighting back is not an absolute option to an attack or rape, but it could possibly save your life! Here are a few things you need to know should you have to fight back an attacker or rapist:
1. Remember that any physical assault or rape is ALWAYS considered a life-threatening situation.
2. Never assume if you cooperate with an attacker, you won’t be hurt or even killed, regardless of what they say to you.
3. Physical trauma resulting from a rape is very devastating and professional help and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible.
4. Emotional trauma resulting from a rape has equally severe and even longer lasting affects, and necessitates seeking professional counseling to help in recovery.
5. Rape is NEVER a women’s fault under any circumstances.
MYTH #1: “Fighting back will make the attacker or rapist madder and possibly more violent, so it is always safer to simply submit and not do anything to defend yourself.”
THE TRUTH: Safety experts have determined you are TWICE as likely to prevent a rape if you take both immediate and forceful action. Having several good ‘what if’ strategies in your safety toolbox serves you much better than figuring out what to do as it is happening. Of course submitting without resisting is always a valid choice, and it is always up to the individual to decide the best course of action in their particular situation. Only can you decide for yourself the best course of action to take in any given situation as it presents itself to you individually . If a person feels that submission is the only way to survive the attack or rape, then it is the best option. The bottom line is this: Plan to fight back to defend yourself and be prepared to fight back because only you can decide which is the best course of action to take, but you must be prepared for either option.
Remember there are no silver bullets or absolute answers to any given situation, as each is a stand-alone scenario. Myth #1 however, is based on the erroneous assumption that you would lose the fight or be unsuccessful thwarting off the rape. It is easier to consider fighting back as an option and you would most likely be more successful defending yourself, especially if you have had some training, even a little bit (the physical self-defense techniques we teach in our S.A.F.E. programs are great techniques to know!).
MYTH #2: “You need to be an experienced martial artist to defeat an attacker. A physical self-defense class is simply not enough training to be effective against an attack or rape.”
THE TRUTH: “Self-defense” and “martial arts” training are very different and even though no one can expect a high level of skill in one class or two of self-defense training, the fact is a high level of skill isn’t necessary in most scenarios! I recently heard about an 80-year-old woman who actually choked her attacker to death. For centuries, people with no marital arts training have been successful in fighting off attackers. A strong will to survive, lots of adrenaline, strategies that you can implement immediately and perhaps a little bit of luck can be more valuable than years of training. You however stack the odds in your favor from taking a good self-defense training class.
MYTH #3: “No matter what I learn or what training I have, I’d be too scared, too weak, etc. to be effective in a fight. I am too out of shape to even take a self-defense class!”
THE TRUTH: Anything you have never tried before creates doubt, even fear, but if we never try we can never learn anything new. It is incredibly empowering to be able to do something new that we never thought we could do before or thought was impossible. Taking a self-defense class for example, can help us to break through existing physical and emotional barriers. Unlike martial arts training, self-defense classes are designed with a specific training that stresses ‘quick and dirty’ techniques aimed at vulnerable body areas with minimal force and maximum results. Techniques should also be able to be performed with little physical ability (or mobility), be simple and not even require a fully functioning body or years to master, as a marital art does. Most women discover that they are in fact more powerful (emotionally and physically) and better able to handle themselves in a threatening situation than they originally gave themselves credit for, even after just a little self-defense training. It can give a woman a sense of self-confidence and move them from being fear-based to feeling empowered, possibly even for the first time in their lives.
A good self-defense course should include:
1) Verbal and physical skills for avoiding and defusing confrontations.
2) Easy to learn and apply effective "quick and dirty" techniques.
3) Training to help you tap into your inner strength and your inner courage that enables you to overcome freezing in a panic situation.
4) A safe place and space where a woman who may have had experienced a previous attack or trauma can work out and feel safe in her training.
NOTE: You should consider taking a self-defense training annually to keep your skills fresh and your body reflexes sharp. This allows for your body to condition-in 'muscle memory' so if you have to react to physically defend yourself, you simply react in a ‘call-to-action’ mode without even thinking.
WSEG is considering creating an ‘On The Mat’ physical self-defense training class. If you would like us to offer self-defense training classes, please email us and let us know (contact: glenn@wseg.org). Your response is important to us, and we thank you for your input!
Mark Spencer, M.A., S.A.F.E.
© Copyright 2006 S.A.F.E. All rights reserved.
