Day 326

Today I got to eat lunch with a couple of long-standing girlfriends that I used to work on the fire department with. The three of us haven't been all together in quite some time, but we fell into rhythm instantly, as if it had been only yesterday that we were together last. But after lunch, we veered from the normal girlfriend type of afternoon. 

We went to a women's self- defense class.

This was a free class at one of city's fire stations, put on by a charitable, non-profit organization. As we walked in, I noted that there were about 20 of us, ranging in age from teens to sixties. We took our seats and met the founder of Assert, a charismatic woman bursting with energy and an obvious passion for empowering women.

Now you may think that a self defense class is mostly learning fancy ways of kicking a guy in the balls. But interestingly, this class was much much more than that. We spent the first half of class listening to statistics, watching videos that taught us about perception being aware of your surroundings, as well as what the difference between being "assertive" and "aggressive" is.

We learned there are three main things you can do to stay safe. It is called "the Triple A" ( as in AAA):

Awareness- We watched a video where we were supposed to count the # of things that changed throughout the scene. We were able to name six things- different flowers on the table compared to the beginning of the video, the lady had a different hat on, etc. And remember-there were about 20 of us in this class...there were 21 changes. Huh. Guess my awareness could use some work. We talked about running with headphones on (guilty), and to pay attention to what is going on (hasn't that same guy passed me in the grocery store 3 times now and is somehow checking out the same time as I am?).

Avoid- Listen to your gut. And don't put yourself in situations where you can become a victim. Don't park next to a van. Don't walk and text at the same time. Don't lay on your stomach in the park and read a book- put your back against a wall or a tree where someone can't as easily sneak up behind you. Use the buddy system, and opt for the grocery store whose parking lot is well lit even if it's a little farther away.

Action- Yes, this is where we got to practice kicking Bob the dummy in the balls. But the theme of "action" is really to have a plan. I have spent a lot of time in my career planning and preparing for all sorts of disasters- mass casualties, Ebola, etc. I hope this is training I never have to use, but it sure can't hurt to think about and practice what I would do. Maybe it doesn't get as far as having to kick someone in the balls. But maybe you recognize an unsafe situation or creepy person and take steps to report it- to a store manager, security guard, etc.

The last half of class was spent practicing using our God-given weapons- voice, elbows, fists, knees, and feet. Bob was the poor dummy who felt our wrath, and it was amazing how empowering it felt to poke his fake eyes out...

But then we had to go 1:1 with Bob. The instructor stood behind him and acted out a scenario. And although I knew it wasn't real, I was suprised at how real it actually felt. When they advanced on you with the dummy, it was very different than standing in a circle and pretending to kick at a groin. They advanced and touched you with it, forcing you to react and literally fend him off.

I am proud to say, I kicked Bob's ass. Actually, I broke his nose then ran like hell. But afterward, I felt more secure that I could actually react and defend myself in a situation, a proud moment from someone who is not usually an assertive personality. Even my girlfriend of almost 20 years was suprised, and gave me a high five as I sat back down.

Today's picture represents learning how to be more aware, and that it's ok to be assertive. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, it's ok to remove yourself from the situation. It's ok to tell the person asking you for directions in the parking lot to ask someone else and stay away from you. And it's ok to have a plan "just in case", and practice it so that you can be prepared. I saw a lot of statistics today about victims. Don't be a victim- be a "victor", and if you get the opportunity to take a class like this please do. Yes, I could have spent those 3 hours doing something more "productive" (grocery shopping, cleaning, etc), but I'm so glad I took the time to do this instead. So watch out creeps- this Gigi is ready for you!