”If you like yourself now, learn self-defense,” said Wayne Steinmetz, fifth-degree black belt in the martial art of kyuki-do and owner of the McHenry Flying Dragons karate school. ”You won`t be the same person after a sexual assault.”
The alarming number of sexual assaults and domestic violence cases are a motivating force for the increasing number of women taking responsibility for their own safety by attending self-defense classes where basic kicks, strikes and skills are taught and recommendations for assault prevention are offered. For Mary Boland, self-defense instructor for crisis centers such as the Northwest Action Against Rape (NWAAR), a third-degree black belt in danzan ryu jujitsu and an attorney, it was the result of standing at the wrong end of a knife during an armed robbery in 1977.
”Self-defense is a tool of choice. It`s not a guarantee or even appropriate to use in all situations,” emphasized Boland. ”But it offers options and some sense of your own empowerment.”
Boland, who began teaching self-defense in 1984, now teaches classes on a regular basis. And those classes have a waiting list.
Park districts such as McHenry`s, schools, women`s organizations and crisis centers throughout the northwest suburbs are meeting the growing demand for women by sponsoring both short- and long-term programs in self-defense.
”Sexual assault can happen to anyone anywhere,” said Tim Young, a Schaumburg police officer and member of the Illinois Crime Prevention Association. ”Just because you live in suburbia does not exclude you from becoming a victim. The crime rate is less, but it still exists. You have to be prepared.”
Even Harriet Johnson, a second-degree black belt in hapkido, a first-degree black belt in tae kwon do, a police self-defense instructor as well as owner and chief martial arts instructor of Crystal Lake Hapkido has not been immune from attack.
She was recently assaulted early one morning by the father of a student. Although Johnson was able to break away from her attacker she was reminded of the message she repeatedly tells her students. ”We can never let our guard down completely,” she said.
”No white knight will charge in to save a victim. In fact, most witnesses will turn away from an assault,” said Steinmetz. ”The smart woman learns how to defend herself.”
In a cooperative study, the National Victim Center, the Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center and the Medical University of South Carolina estimated that 683,000 forcible rapes were committed in 1990. This translates as one in every eight women having been sexually assaulted at least once in her life, with 62 percent of the victims under the age of 18.
These figures are more than three times higher than those reported by the U.S. Justice Department. The reason, according to Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault statistics from a Senate Judiciary Committee report, is that a low number of sexual assault victims report the crime to police.
Yet rape is not the only violent crime against women. The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence states that women in the U.S. are the victims of beatings at the rate of one every 15 seconds and that domestic violence results in more injuries requiring medical attention than rape, vehicle accidents and muggings combined.
Despite these numbers, not nearly enough women have attended a training program, said Steinmetz.
One reason may be the difficulty of scheduling the time for long-term self-defense instruction as a woman tries to balance family, household and work obligations. If this is the case, Johnson suggested attending periodic seminars, focusing on one or two skills each time and practicing them repeatedly at home.
Several thousand repetitions must be made before a skill becomes an automatic response, according to Johnson, who added, ”Short-term programs are better than nothing, but students have to practice on their own.”
While authorities suggest educating high-school students before the young women enter the college scene, Johnson said it`s equally important to reach all ages. ”You are never too young or too old to learn self-defense, because you are never too young or too old to be attacked. If you are physically unable to use one technique, learn to do something else.”
Unlike little boys who grow up with contact sports, these self-defense classes offer most female students their first opportunity to feel what it is like to hit someone or something. Even after much practice, though, not all women are physically able to react to an assault.
”It`s ingrained for women to apologize for hurting someone,” said Boland. ”We don`t want to be rude. I remind students that no one has the right to take their dignity. The attacker doesn`t worry about hurting us.”
And all the training in the world will not be effective if the victim lacks confidence in her ability to resist an assault. ”Women don`t believe they can actually stop a man from physically harming them,” said Boland. ”I remind them the offender is not the Terminator. He is human just like us.”
Johnson focuses on three principal areas in her classes: vision, wind and limb. ”Strike at the face to distract an attacker, at the throat to knock the wind out of him and at the knee or leg to disable,” she said.
There is some controversy as to whether a victim increases her potential for physical harm by resisting an attack, but repeated studies have shown that women do not worsen their chances of survival. Often, an assault can be prevented by fighting back.
”About 20 percent of the rapists do become angrier and fight harder with resistance,” said Robert Wilson, crime prevention officer for the Addison Police Department and a member of the Illinois Crime Prevention Association,
”but women can learn in self-defense class how to identify the different types of rapists and how to best handle a situation.
”A lot of women feel there is nothing they can do (to prevent a sexual assault), but that isn`t true,” said Wilson. ”They can use what we refer to as personal weapons. Women have powerful legs that can deliver devastating blows. Elbows and fingers can be used effectively in simple tactics.”
And, Wilson added, ”You must be mentally prepared. Think different circumstances through in your mind by playing `what if` . . . . You won`t have the time to think in a crisis. You have to be mentally and physically ready.” Indeed, instructors agree that trusting one`s instinct in a situation is most important. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, get away from him, even if it means changing your direction or plan. Each situation is unlike any other, so a women`s best defense is to trust her gut feelings, according to Schaumburg police officer Young.
”The best defense tip I could give is to rely on your instincts,” Young said. ”Those butterflies, the perspiration and the hair standing on your arms are telling you something. Don`t wait until it is too late to react. And use common sense.”
Some common sense includes carrying your keys in your hand when going to the car, parking in a well-lit area and checking around and inside before entering the vehicle, according to Young.
Understanding characteristics of a victim is also necessary ammunition in assault prevention. Police officers and instructors agree that 80 percent of rapists look for an easy target. For that reason, authorities recommend walking in a confident manner with head held high. It`s crucial at all times to be aware not only of your surroundings, but of the people around you as well. Look suspicious people straight in the eye, not aggressively, but in a manner that shows you are aware of their existence and are not intimidated.
Before leaving for a date, let someone know where you will be and when you will return and avoid any substance that would affect your judgment, Johnson noted.
In the event of date rape, she suggested disgusting an attacker by vomiting, urinating or acting crazy and to leave as many fingerprints as possible as well as noting what the attacker has touched.
