Self Defense
Self Defense will discuss practical strategies for decreasing vulnerability and increasing personal safety.
Objectives:
- Participant will be educated about faulty society perceptions of disability and vulnerability.
- Participants will be instructed how to proactively identify, minimize or avoid possible attacks and dangerous situations.
- Participant will learn the basic techniques of strong body language and verbal self defense: use of body and voice to surprise attackers, show strength, and lack of fear.
- Participants will learn to identify vulnerable places to strike attackers.
- Participant will be consider ways to use every-day objects for self defense purposes: wheelchairs (or pieces of wheelchairs), crutches or braces, keys etc.
Plan:
- Coordinate 2-hour self defense module with a self defense or martial arts expert.
- Conduct the combination of lectures and exercises.
- Adapt self defense strategies to the functional abilities of participants.
- Ask participants if they have any questions or wish to learn specific techniques or responses to particular scenarios.
- Provide supplemental information of where to go for additional information and services (police, hotlines, counseling, local self defense and martial arts classes).
Staff:
Two to three staff for a group of twelve.
Site criteria:
Accessible indoor or flat shaded outdoor space (like a basketball court or aerobics room) that is spacious and has accessible bathroom facilities.
Supplies and equipment:
Mats (optional)
Self Defense Shields (optional)
Padded weapons (optional)
Focus Targets (optional)
Body Shields (optional)
Water
Spray bottles if outdoors
Comfortable loose-fitting clothing and shoes
Resources:
Contact local self defense and martial arts instructors and assess their experience and willingness to teach disabled individuals. Often these contacts are willing to run a workshop for free or at a low cost.
International Disabled Self-Defense Association, Asheville, NC, www.defenseability.com, 828-638-5528.
American Women’s Self Defense Association, Lindenhurst, NY www.awsda.org, 1-888-STOP RAPE or 631-225-6262.
National Women’s Martial Arts Federation, Austin, TX , www.nwmaf.org