David Goldberg: THE MONITOR – October 11, 1994
After a spring and summer of sexual assaults in the district, business has never been better for self-defence expert George Manoli. Manoli tells worried female residents that they can reduce their fear of such attacks and the horrible consequences, if they are prepared .
‘Self-confidence for a victim means knowledge. You must have a plan with options, » said Manoli, who is arso a constable at Station 15. « If someone breaks into your aparunent when you are asleep, there are three ways to react: Passive, verbal and physical
Manoli says he has been getting many phone calls recently from women m the West End and, on the West Island, both areas that have been the scenes of a string of sexual assaults. He says his Manoli Hands-On SelfDefence Method is a practical, empowering and effective way to fend off such attacks.
« If you wake up and there is an unarmed man who wants to rape you, try a verbal approach. Tell him you’re sick, you have cancer, AIDS or the chicken pox, » he said. « If that doesn’t work, you can try the passive response. Act out the illness. Throw up, fake a seizure. Try to convince the attacker you really are ill. »
Leona Heillig of the Montreal Assault PreventIon Centre agrees that women must have a plan with several options, depending on each situatIon. She says that women should rely on their own resources, such as screaming, rather than on objects like screamers.
« If you feel confident you are less vulnerable. You can’t cower in your apartInent and hope it doesn’t happen, » she said. « When you’re feelmg afraid, take a few deep breaths. Then ask yourself what you can do. Reading the scene is very important. Then what Y0.!.l dC! depends on each woman. Hut do whatever you can to take control. »
Studies show that women who can fight back effectively stand a much better chance of surviving an assault. Manoli says a physical attack should be a woman’s last resort, and both experts agree that victims must be prepared to hurt their attacker.
« Once you go physical, there is no turning back, » said Manoli. « You can pretend to go along with the attacker and then go for a hidden maim, such as biting down . hard on his lip. Once you startto figpt, you must go, for the three vulnerable areas, which are the eyes, nose and groin. »
Heillig added that any woman is capable of learning physical self-defence techniques.
« You don’t have to be a black belt and you don’t have to be stronger than your attacker, » she said. ‘We have given courses of the NDG Senior Citizen Council to women in their 80s. We have taught women in wheelchairs. »
For more information on selfdefence courses, call George Manoli at 328-4683 or the Montreal Assault Prevention Centre at 284-1212.