Today, 27 people came out to our Women's Self Defense class, which was sponsored by the Fit for Life grant. We had 16 teens and 11 adults, which was a good mix for our first-ever joint program. Mark, an instructor from Ageless Exercise, spent about one hour teaching us how to evade various attacks. We talked about everything from being aware of your surroundings to various pressure points on the neck and face. Mark showed us how to break certain kinds of attacks, including someone putting an unwanted arm around you, having your arms grabbed, or being choked. We also learned some moves that would inflict enough pain to give us time to escape from an attack. We (gently) practiced all of the moves he showed us using each other for partners. It was a great class and I think everyone learned something useful.
We worked in pairs to learn how to avoid being grabbed.
We learned how to escape from someone grabbing our wrists...
...and then knee them!
Mark taught everyone to hit with hammer fists because it is more effective and less painful than a knuckle punch.
