No matter the age, everyone should know how to protect themselves. Relying on pepper spray or the protection of others will not help you when you are alone and unarmed. Taking a self-defense class does not only teach physical defense moves, it can also prevent an attack from happening in the first place.
According to the Cincinnati Police Department between Dec. 12, 2016, and Jan. 7, 2017, there were 102 cases of robbery, 52 cases of aggravated assault, and 15 cases of rape.
Not only does a self-defense class teach physical defense moves, it also improves self-confidence and mental awareness according to Life Hack. Standing tall, walking with confidence, and looking a potential attacker in the eye can help thwart off an attack. Looking vulnerable will make you a target for an attack.
One of the many self-defense classes taught in the Cincinnati area is at the Survive Institute in Kenwood. Debbie and Mike Gardner, both former Cincinnati Police officers, founded the Survive Institute in 1981 after Debbie was assaulted with a gun.
The Survive Institute came to McNick in 2012 to hold a self-defense assembly entitled “Navigating Life with Courage and Confidence.” “Training, certificates and titles mean nothing if knowledge cannot be applied when needed,” Debbie said on The Survive Institute website. “[Students] ultimately have the right to walk alone to classes and their workplace; they have the right to meet, talk and trust new people,” she continued on the website. The West Chester Police Department offers self-defense classes once a month including 10-hour program available to men and women 16 and up.
Everybody should at least know basic self-defense moves that can protect themselves. It is a skill that will be useful throughout your life. Through an email interview, Debbie expressed the importance of learning self defense. “Fear and worry are not safety plans. Moral, legal power feels good, and students deserve it for use your entire life, not just in high school and college,” she said.
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