Close your eyes and imagine this scenario:
“It’s dark out. You’ve been shopping and you’ve got to get from the building to your car parked in the lot. You have so many things on your mind. Did you get everything done? Where are you going next? Who is waiting for you to come home or pick them up? Where are your keys? How do you search for your keys and hang on to these bags at the same time? Scanning the parking lot, you try to remember where your car is parked. You get that jittery, scared feeling as you begin to navigate between the cars. Ugh. You hate walking here alone. You don’t even want to think what could happen. You see a man walking by himself in the next lane. You don’t know him. Is he coming towards you? Why did that van park so close to your car? Will you make it to your car safely? What would happen if that guy got too close, or if someone was in that van watching you? You are very nervous and a little freaked out, so you hurry to unlock your car, get in where you’ll be safe, and quickly drive away.”
Self-defense and personal safety coach, Julie Greene, began her self-defense workshop with a similar scenario. This excerpt was taken from her book, Defy the Bad Guy, a guide for women who want to learn how to harness the power of staying safe. As part of their “Week of Empowerment”, the William & Mary Colony of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha invited Julie to give a workshop specifically designed for college women. In the workshop, she demonstrated certain skills and techniques for practical use in campus situations. Julie presented the participants with a scenario to think about, then preceded to discuss what preventive strategies could be taken in order to have an advantage in sketchy situations.
Julie’s presentation was insightful and interactive. She asked the audience questions and encouraged the participants to think about how they can use their own abilities to “defy the bad guy.” The mood was serious, but there was also a lot of joking and laughter when the participants were practicing the methods individually. Who would have thought that learning self-defense could be fun? The biggest takeaway from the workshop that Julie expressed was the importance of practice. She explained that when faced with an actual bad guy, many people tend to freeze up and forget to do the most basic defense maneuvers, such as calling 911. By practicing, you feel more comfortable with the movements and have a better chance of staying calm during a frightening situation.
I never realized how vulnerable of a target I make myself when I’m walking alone, but in a college setting there are going to be times when you are going to be by yourself such as when you are doing laundry or walking to a class. It is important to know how to react if anyone approaches you in these situations; you want them to know they chose to mess with the wrong woman! I encourage all women to learn some form of self-defense; it can boost your confidence, plus it is a form of knowledge that you can take with you after graduation.