A student uses her self-defense techniques to neutralize at “attacker” (an instructor in a special suit).
By Alice Waugh
A women’s self-defense class taught by Lincoln police has proved so popular that a second set of classes is already filling up.
The free classes began when Lincoln resident Jena Salon asked police last fall if they could teach basic self-defense for women in town, and the answer was yes. She subsequently publicized the first classes by word of mouth and through LincolnTalk, Lincoln’s community email listserv.
This self-defense class is not about defeating an assailant; it’s about “situational awareness” and how to escape when threatened by an attacker, said Patrolman Ian Spencer, one of the instructors along with Patrolman Laura Stewart. “Age and mobility doesn’t really matter—it’s what you do with what you got. It’s not a boxing match or anything. You just want to be able to get out of there and get help,” he said.
Spencer and Stewart are both certified as R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) instructors, and Stewart is also a defensive-tactics instructor for the state police, Spencer said.
After learning the techniques, students can try them out in a realistic way when an instructor “attacks” them wearing a special protective suit.
The next two classes will take place in February and March at the following times.
Each class consists of two three-hour sessions. The first evening covers basic safety and some basic self-defense tactics and moves. On the second night, students practice what they’ve learned when one of the instructors dons a special protective suit and “attacks” the student, who must use her new skills to escape the situation.
- Class A — February 26 and March 5 (6-9 p.m., Hartwell multipurpose room)
- Class B — March 12 and March 19 (6-9 p.m., Brooks gym)
Any Lincoln woman interested in signing up should email Salon at jenasalon@gmail.com. The instructors hope to eventually expand the program to offer a class for high-school-age girls and women, as well as shorter refresher courses, Spencer said.
Women who’ve already taken the class were enthusiastic.
“I benefited from practicing the maneuvers and found myself realizing that muscle-memory is going to be really important should I ever need to call on these skills. A regular practice makes a lot of sense. It’s a great community service,” said Natalie DeNormandie.
“Officers Stewart and Spencer are terrific. They’re incredibly friendly and energetic; they have a genuine interest in teaching you, and they want you to be prepared for anything. They want to boost your confidence level and have you be aware of your surroundings and be prepared to react,” said Jamie Liu
“This class is not meant to scare you, but to open your eyes and prepare you. We have a quiet town here, but you never know what will happen when you go to Boston, the mall parking lot or the local ATM,” Liu added.
“It was actually fun in an adrenalin-sport sort of way,” said Wendy Harrington. “We were trained to be aware, set boundaries and move through fear. I think of myself as a strong, confident person [but] it really surprised me how hard it was to use an aggressive voice and actually fight back. And the amazing thing was that we all were transformed into trash mouthed, bad-ass Ninjas in three short classes!”
“When you are a survivor of sexual abuse, even years later and even after most of your healing is done, it’s difficult to feel safe in the world and in your body. Although I’d always wanted to take a self-defense class, I worried that the intensity of going through a situation where I would be ‘attacked’ and have to fight my way out could trigger flashbacks or panic,” Salon said. “I cannot express how grateful I am to have taken the risk to go through this class. Not only did I have fun and learn to protect myself, but Officers Stewart and Spencer obviously cared deeply for our safety, and reminded me how to trust myself, my instincts and my body.”