\u00ab\u00a0Don’t move!\u00a0\u00bb yells a masked man as he covers your mouth, grabbing you from behind. \u00ab\u00a0Give me your wallet, and don’t scream, or I swear to god I’ll kill you, bitch.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Most people, especially women, have been warned of this scenario since childhood. Fear has always loomed in our Western minds: Don’t talk to strangers … never walk alone at night….never look a stranger in the eye. The media is partly to blame for its monotonous portrayal of shrieking women, cat-fighting their way into victim hood. However, few people in the media or otherwise have shown the public how to defend themselves.<\/p>\n
The lack of preventative education shows; 1 ,383 sexual assaults were reported on the island of Montreal in 1996 to the Montreal Police, and for every rape reported, an estimated ten go unreported. In light of these statistics, people are getting the message loud and clear: It’s time to take control. \u00ab\u00a0We have been scared since the beginning of time,\u00a0\u00bb commented Lise Charbonneau, secretary, book-keeper, and ACTION Organizer and Instructor for the Montreal Assault Prevention Centre of women. She went on to explain how fear and un-certainty have always been \u00ab\u00a0part of being a woman.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Since 1984, the MAPC, a non-profit organization, has been redefining what it means to be a woman with its ACTION self-defense course. 11,000 people have learned through the MAPC to be more secure, confident, and empowered when faced with aggression. Although ACTION is designed strictly for women and teenage girls, the MAPC also offers customized self-defense courses for children, the handicapped, senior citizens and is working on one for gay men.<\/p>\n
ACTION is a combination of Wen-Do (a fighting style that was popular among feminists in the 1970s), and role-playing and discussions, both elements from MAPC’s Child Assault Prevention (CAP) program. Instead of making rules for women, Charbonneau claims ACTION gives them tools. Another part of the ACTION philosophy is that any woman can defend herself, but physical retaliation is a last resort. ACTION teaches participants to use their bodies as weapons and how to be difficult targets of assault. For example, women are taught to identify vulnerable areas of the body and to answer questions with questions as this will intimidate the aggressor. All ACTION instructors are women since they have been socialized to be timid and scared in the same way.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0We have the same type of life … men don’t have these rules as much,\u00a0\u00bb described Charbonneau. The all-women atmosphere is part of what Charbonneau calls ACTION’s \u00ab\u00a0feminist approach\u00a0\u00bb. ACTION’s unique approach to self~efense has been taught in many high schools, ffcommunity centres, colleges and universities. olhe MAPC gets the largest interest from univer.D;ity-age women, thanks in part to Concordia’s omen’s Centre subsidization of certain courses.<\/p>\n
Over the last decade of being an instructor, Charbonneau has heard many success stories. In six out of ten success stories, the woman was able to defend herself verbally, and physical selfdefense was resorted to in the rest. Charbonneau remembers one woman having reoccurring nightmares of when she had been raped. After completing the course, she successfully defended herself against the rapist in her dreams.<\/p>\n
Dawson graduate Maggie Seymour can relate. Earlier this year, 21 year-old Seymour was raped by a man she barely knew. \u00ab\u00a0I felt helpless,\u00a0\u00bb she said, ‘Women are always portrayed as weak. I’ve always conformed to that.\u00a0\u00bb She was angry and wanted to make sure that it would never happen again, so she took an ACTION course.<\/p>\n
Seymour described ACTION’s atmosphere as being \u00ab\u00a0Relaxing, especially the fact that all the participants were women.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
For Seymour. the most empowering part of the course was at the end, when each participant broke a thick block of wood with their bare hands. The exercise is designed to enhance concentration, focus on a target, and to make participants aware of their strength. \u00ab\u00a0It was able to show us, in front of our eyes, the power that we do have,\u00a0\u00bb commented Seymour. Now, Seymour feels a lot more confident, and self-reliant than she did before taking the course. \u00ab\u00a0I felt I had taken back all the power that had been taken away from me,\u00a0\u00bb Seymour believes taking a self-defense course is the most important thing one can do on a weekend, even more important than homework. Having the course at the Concordia Women’s Centre is also \u00ab\u00a0ideal for students,\u00a0\u00bb Seymour explained, \u00ab\u00a0because of its modest cost.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Lucy Mann, a fourth-semester Creative Arts student, also felt vulnerable and scared often, especially when walking outside at night. Like Seymour, she sought empowerment through a self-defense course. Mann enrolled in a course given by ~orQe Manoll. a trained police officer. Manoli teaches women to prevent assault by providing them with tools that they can adapt to their own personalities. \u00ab\u00a0Not everyone can act tough and confident,\u00a0\u00bb he said. \u00ab\u00a0You gotta use what you do naturally to the maximum. Even if you can’t physically hurt them [the aggressor], you know mentally what to do.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Although Manoli teaches women to yell (most people do not yell when assaulted), and recognize body targets, the most distinctive part of Manoli’s course is its physical component. His \u00ab\u00a0Hands-On\u00a0\u00bb method forces women to face their most intense fears. Along with another male police officer and a trained civilian, Manoli simulates physical attacks complete with cat calls, and swearing. Manoli also shows women how to defend themselves in bathroom stalls, elevators and other specific situations by simulating an attack. \u00ab\u00a0We try to make it as realistic as possible,\u00a0\u00bb Manoli commented.<\/p>\n
Manoli teaches three angles of self-defense: passive, verbal and physical. Ultimately a combination of all three works best, but each situation requires a unique approach. For example, if an assault with a weapon occurs in the afternoon, Manoli advises fainting (passive self-defense) because that will attract bystanders and a weapon is involved. If the assault happened at night, screaming would work best (verbal selfdefense) since that would attract more attention in the dark.<\/p>\n
In the six years of teaching his \u00ab\u00a0Hands-On\u00a0\u00bb method, Manoli has taught approximately 3000 women and children and has heard of eight success stories from his students. A former Dawson student, Manoli started teaching self-defense using his karate skills, but he soon realized that this was the wrong approach since karate takes years to master. He also researched the psychology of rape, which combined with his expertise as a police officer, was infused into his assault prevention course for women. Although much of the course is physical, Mann said the participants shared stories, role played, and were very supportive of each other.<\/p>\n
Mann benefited most from the last class, when each student was assigned a route in the building and all the lights were turned off. They knew they would be attacked but didn’t know when. When put to the test though, Mann was able to ward off her simulated assailant, and now feels confident that she could do the same in a real situation.<\/p>\n
Manoli’s advice to young women is to always be aware of escapes and safety areas in their surroundings. Furthermore, they must be aware of certain facts: most assailants know the people they attack, the assault will most likely occur in a private home or car, most assaults involve alcohol or drugs, and it could happen to anyone.<\/p>\n
Unlike ACTION and George Manoli’s \u00ab\u00a0Hands-On\u00a0\u00bb method, Self-Defense at Dawson is a cooed activity. Wayne Donivan of Dawson’s Phys. Ed. Department teaches the course and has seen it evolve. Since Self-Defense is a 104 (learning activity skills) course, any Dawson student can take it. However, in the last five years the number of women in the course has increased dramatically. Now, in an average class of 25, 15-21 students are women. Why? \u00ab\u00a0There’s been an increase in awareness. Women understand that they need this. They realize that they can’t rely on other people for their safety,\u00a0\u00bb Donivan said. \u00ab\u00a0My biggest fear about taking this class is knowing more about what really happens on the street,\u00a0\u00bb commented Lianne Brown, a Social Science student in Donivan’s class. \u00ab\u00a0Being ignorant is less scary.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Like the other courses, Donivan combines problem-solving discussions, role-playing, and physical fighting techniques. He emphasizes that self-defense is not a \u00ab\u00a0textbook\u00a0\u00bb skill, so he tries to give his classes a sample of different approaches. \u00ab\u00a0What works for me might not work for someone else because of physical stature, temperament and experience,\u00a0\u00bb he explained.<\/p>\n
Erophili Demopoulos, a second-semester Fine Arts student, is taking Donivan’s course as a result of past experiences. \u00ab\u00a0I work at a club and I’ve had guys come on to me,\u00a0\u00bb she said. Although she has managed to defend herself thus far, she often feels powerless. Demopoulos added that she doesn’t want to rely on security for her own safety. \u00ab\u00a0Self-defense,\u00a0\u00bb she said, \u00ab\u00a0is about accepting responsibility.\u00a0\u00bb Donivan divides the course into three phases: prevention, escape, and confrontation ..<\/p>\n
Prevention could be anything from checking inside your car before entering, to always being with another person. \u00ab\u00a0Chances of survival are doubled if another person is there, and the chances increase exponentially with each additional person,\u00a0\u00bb Donivan explained. He always encourages his students to be aware of their surroundings, he calls this state of mind \u00ab\u00a0code yellow.\u00a0\u00bb The next phase, escape, can be running away, verbal self-defense, or simply changing your route when you sense danger. In teaching escape tactics, Donivan says, \u00ab\u00a0You don’t want to ever underestimate the abilities of your assailant.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Code Red\u00a0\u00bb is the term Donivan uses when one prepares to confront the aggressor physically. He believes that anything that prevents assault will work. As a seventh Dan (degree) black belt, Donivan teaches a combination of karate, judo, aikido, and kung tu. He often attacks the students with protective padding \u00ab\u00a0because one needs to feel the force of an aggressor,\u00a0\u00bb he said.<\/p>\n
Donivan’s self-defense students are closer than his other students because the SUbject is so personal. \u00ab\u00a0Most students,\u00a0\u00bb he commented, \u00ab\u00a0experience a \u00ab\u00a0metamorphosis\u00a0\u00bb in their self-confidence.\u00a0\u00bb Having men and women in the class gives the students a unique experience. \u00ab\u00a0It gives young men a better opportunity to better understand the insecurities of women, their fears and their strengths,\u00a0\u00bb Many \u00ab\u00a0macho\u00a0\u00bb men, Donivan added, are surprised by the womens’ abilities and develop a \u00ab\u00a0healthy respect\u00a0\u00bb of them.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0First I thought it [self-defense] was a class for women, but I realized it was an important class for both genders,\u00a0\u00bb described Serey Preap, a second-semester Computer Science student. Discipline and increased awareness are also benefits of self-defense. Preap explained that \u00ab\u00a0The world is dangerous. It [self-defense] will help me.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0It doesn’t make a difference to me,\u00a0\u00bb said Michelle Belice, a 17 year-old Dawson student. \u00ab\u00a0What matters is not gender, but the quality of the teaching.\u00a0\u00bb Donivan insists that \u00ab\u00a0every single person in this college should take a course in self-defense. It’s a practical life skill and you never know when you’re going to use this.\u00a0\u00bb Always be in code yellow, Donivanadvises, especially when alone. When one is upset, or sick, potential aggressors sense it, and one should be more cautious at these times. Lise Charbonneau has similar advice. \u00ab\u00a0If you’re not comfortable, please listen to your instincts … make noise, talk to someone … DO SOMETHING.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
Most self-defense courses are geared towards women, and it’s no wonder; of the 300 Montreal assaults committed in 1996 for 18-25 year-olds, 284 were against women. However men aren’t immune, everyone is a potential victim. Urban violence today is more rampant than ever, but if you ask Maggie Seymour or Lucy Mann, self-defense it’s not about changing the world but about personal reactions, decisions and control. Self-defense is, as Lise Charbonneau put it, \u00ab\u00a0To feel free to do whatever they [women] want to do whenever they want to do it.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
This name has been changed to protect privacy.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Don’t move!\u00a0\u00bb yells a masked man as he covers your mouth, grabbing you from behind. \u00ab\u00a0Give me your wallet, and don’t scream, or I swear to god I’ll kill you, bitch.\u00a0\u00bb Most people, especially women, have been warned of this scenario since childhood. Fear has always loomed in our Western minds: Don’t talk to strangers …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,63],"tags":[315,312,326],"class_list":["post-215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles-francais","category-preventin-d-aggression","tag-assault-fr","tag-prevention-fr","tag-women-fr"],"yoast_head":"\n