Donald McGowan: The Chronicle – January 20, 1993
For about 90 minutes George Manoli, 33, has been part teacher, part child psychologist, part comedian and part punching bag, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
It’s Monday at 7:35 p.m. and he is sitting on a chair in a back room at the YMCA Family Centre in Pointe Claire. Wearing a sweatsuit and protective knee and shin pads, he is trying to catch his breath.
From 6 to 7:30 p.m., Manoli gave the first class of a self-defe.nce and attackprevention program for children.
The reasons why he teaches the course and why 14 children aged 10 to 13 and their parents showed up this night and will return each of the following four weeks is clear.
“It just tears you when you see a child who’s just been sexually assaulted,” said Manoli, a constable at Montreal Urban Community police Station 15 in N.D.G. “I have children of my own.
“You go to a break -and-entry, you go to a fire, you go to whatever, those are other people’s problems. You go in, do what you have to do and you go. But if you go and have to deal with a child who’s been sexually assaulted … it makes you cry.”
Years ago the subject of assault, sexual or otherwise, wasn’t talked about in general conversation. It was just a problem that you hoped you or your children were able to avoid.
But with more and more instances of assault occurring closer and closer to home, people are becoming more aware of the situation and are beginning to take an active role in fighting it.
Manoli has been teaching courses in self defence and self defence for women for close to 17 years. This is the first time he has taught self defence for children.
He uses a hands-on, interactive approach, as was evidenced Monday. Almost from the beginning of the session, open-ended questions were directed at the children and, with Manoli donning a chestprotector, helmet, elbow pads and other protective gear, the children are shown how and where to strike: an assailant.
“We ask a lot of questions like, ‘What do you do if … ‘ and ‘What if you find yourself. .. ‘ I tell them there are no right and wrong answers.
We see what they think or know and work from there.
“We tell them that getting away is the most important thing,” he, continued. “The person trying to hurt you is almost always bigger than you. Chuck Norris stuff is for the movies. If someone grabs you, you have to get free and get away.”
The course builds on what has been learned from week to week. The children are put in a variety of situations of varying degrees of seriousness. In week one, the scenarios dealt with did not involve sexual assault and were acted out in an exercise room.
In the coming weeks, Manoli says the scenarios will take place in various areas outdoors, in public washrooms and the like – and will lead up to the perhaps uncomfortable, but impor~ant discussion of what to do in case of a sexual assault. .
Questions regarding whether or not the children would be upset by the discussion of such topics were quickly rebuffed Monday by those involved.
“There’s a lot out in the world these days that frightens kids,” said one Kirkland mother, who declined to give her name, but has her l2-year-old daughter, Melanie, enrolled. “If they learn to cope with a situation, learn what they can do, it can give them a lot more self-confidence.
“At times it’s uncomfortable,” she added. “It’s really a sad world that our children have to live with, but it’s reality.”
Said Manoli: “We tell the kids, ‘Remember, there are some bad people out there. The majority of the people are good, but there are some bad ones, too.”
Related Images:
