By David Goldberg Suburban Special – May 8, 1991
Go straight for the eyes and then kick him where it hurts, he advises
Muggers and rapists thinking of attacking women on Walkley Avenue in NDG better think twice. Thanks to a new selfdefence course taken bv members of the Walkley United Families Association, the women are more than ready to defend themselves.
« Before this course 1 probably would have panicked or pleaded if 1 was attacked, » said Claudine Roy, the association’s president who helped organize
the classes. « Now it will just be tough luck for the poor guy who attacks me. »
The l2-hour course was taught to the women by George Manoli, a fourthdegree black belt in karate who works as a police constable at Station 15. He teaches his female pupils that in order to survive an attack, they must fight like women.
« I teach them not to hit someone so they’ll be in pain tomorrow. Hit them in the nose or in the eyes, then the testicles, » said Mr. Manoli.
« Cause pain to the attacker immediately and then run away. Men tend to want to stay and fight an attacker. Women shouldn’t fall into that trap. The first chance they get, they should run to safety. »
George Manoli formulated his Manoli Method of Hands On Women’s SelfDefence while teaching karate in Edmonton. He had begun to realize mainstream karate classes concentrate too much on technique and teach from a man’s point of View.
« We work on situations that these women may face in their daily lives. The women decide the situation in their lives where they’re
most vulnerable, » said Mr. Manoli. « We try to duplicate it and then we analyze it and tell her what to work on, »
During the classes held at the NDG Community Centre, the group from Walkley would encourage and yell advice to the woman who would be the target of a simulated attack. All agreed after the final class ended that what they had learned was invaluable.
« The course was just fantastic. 1 surprised myself with what 1 can do now after only four weeks, » said a 36-year-old Walkley resi-
dent. « Not one woman who took the course was disappointed. We’re already trying to organize more classes for other women who want to take the course. »
The women said one aspect of the course which was critical to its success was the fact that each woman’s individual strengths were taken into consideration.
« I always had a problem with instructors who said you must scream, or you must look into your opponent’s eyes. There were too many musts, » said Mr. Manoli. « I try to bring out what my students do best. If they can’t punch or kick. they can even vomit or urinate to scare off the attacker. »
The women from Walkley say they’re looking forward to a refresher course in six months. They’re also looking forward to feeling secure wherever they are from now on.
« Wherever women live, they shouldn’t have to live in fear of being attacked. After taking this course I’m sure 1 would be able to defend myself, » said Ms. Roy.