With domestic violence and violence against women on the rise, there is a real need for women to have the opportunity to defend themselves, as well as having support systems to help survive an attack. Nancy Maes`s article, ”Rape victim changes lives of other women” (June 19), really hit home.
The fact is that women can be targets of violence anywhere, anytime. And no matter how careful we are, there be will some situations we can`t avoid. Since her neighbor`s rape, Ms. Maes said in her article, ”I have made plans over and over again in my head about what I would do if I was attacked.”
Through a self-defense course, I have gone over and over on the mat with a live, fully-padded attacker what I would do if I was attacked-and beat him. The course focused on rape scenarios, both fighting and surviving, and is the best thing I have ever done for myself.
I am worth defending, and so is every other women. But we must learn that we are not helpless when the police, friends and neighbors aren`t around to help. Courses like this give us the choice to fight, and the knowledge that we are not helpless. And that knowledge alone can go a long way to avoiding an attack situation in the first place.
