Like our babies, we cradled them in our arms when they were babies. We kissed them, nurtured them, supervised them, encouraged them, supported them, loved them as they grew and matured and … protected them. As loving parents, protecting our children is not just our responsibility, it is our passion. But how do we protect them when we are physically separated from them and they from us?
How can we ensure their safety in an increasingly mad, crazier, more unstable and more dangerous world every day, also known as the Georgia Tech Massacre on April 16, 2007 in which thirty-three people died, in their mostly college students, a horrible heart? Heartbreaking event that claimed the unwanted title as the deadliest shooting in modern American history? Even when our little girls are mature and successful women, even mothers, they will always be our daughters and our hearts can never part with the heartache of protecting and keeping them safe and out of Harm’s way.
I remember when my two daughters went to college. It was a transformative experience. All grown up, leaving home and ready to face the world, they were still more vulnerable than they realized, but I knew it despite their comforting parting words: “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll do fine.” As parents, “Okay” is what we pray.
Here are some sobering thoughts from OnlineLawyerSource.com:
1. “Statistics on sexual assault, including female college students, have been the subject of several studies. In a 1988 national study involving 32 college campuses, one in four female students was found to be the victim of rape or attempted rape. rape Some studies have suggested sexual assault Statistics among college students are very high due to the role of alcohol and drugs Many women believe that reporting a sexual assault against a person if they have been drinking or intoxicated cannot happen, but this cannot that’s correct. Sexual assault is rape and being intoxicated doesn’t mean the law no longer applies. “
2. “Sexual assault statistics show that 17 percent of reported cases against women resulted in injured victims. Sexual assault statistics from the 1992 National Center for Victims and the Center for Research and Treatment of Victims of Crime reported that 80 percent of sexual assault survivors knew their assailant at least by sight. The impact of sexual assault can be physically, psychologically, and emotionally damaging, and denial is particularly strong in victims who knew their assailants. ” .
So how do we protect our sons, especially our daughters, when they are on their way to college and away from home, helping to ensure their peace of mind and ours? One way is to give them a women’s self-defense workshop. Our girls are more likely to be attacked, assaulted, and potentially raped when they are alone, perhaps walking to their bedroom at night, shopping, even studying in a secluded library. There will be times when you will be alone … and potentially vulnerable.
Vulnerable, that’s if they don’t have the skills to defend themselves. The reality is that women who defend themselves in assault are more likely to survive than those who do not. Predators prey on the weak, not the strong. When faced with a daunting adversary, predators move on to other prey, weaker prey. Giving our girls the gift of empowerment through women’s self-defense lessons helps them protect themselves when we can’t. After all, when our children become adults, it is their responsibility to protect themselves. Having them study martial arts or attend a self-defense workshop (maybe with Mom) designed especially for women is one way to help them help themselves. It is also a means by which we, as loving parents, can help ensure the safety of our beloved sons and daughters, especially when they head off to college.
The 4 as self-defense
As a professional martial arts instructor and owner of my own karate studio for over thirty years, here are some valuable tips that can help anyone protect their life:
Having the right mindset is critical to survival. We call this the 4 A’s of Self-Defense.
1.Awareness. Don’t be careful, be careful. Awareness is critical no matter where you are. Is it also important to know who is watching you? If you are in a grocery store, a gas station, a department store, in a park, wherever, always pay attention to your surroundings. This is your first line of defense.
2. Attitude – To survive, you must have a survival attitude, having chosen in advance that you will fight to survive and not simply accept the demands of your attacker. Be like the sun: it brings life to life with its heat, but it burns if someone gets too close. Another analogy is being like a lioness – loving your cubs unless someone tries to hurt them, and at that point, you become a fierce adversary. Also, keep in mind that you are not a victim. Your attacker is the victim. Flip the Assault Coin. Attack your attacker. Finally, you must have an eternal will to survive. If your opponent’s will to harm you is stronger than your desire to live or stay safe, your chances of victory are not good. In an attack situation, your will to survive trumps everything else.
3. Aggression – Being passive in a physical assault is a recipe for being assaulted or worse. In the initial, non-physical part of a potential situation, passivity may be necessary, but if the action becomes physical, fighting and being aggressive in the fight is the remedy for survival. The famous General George Patton said: “In war, the only true defense is offense.”
He was absolutely right. From my professional point of view and tens of thousands of hours of self defense teaching in all my decades of teaching, your chances of victory are much better when you attack. You have more options and practically an infinity of capacities. However, a defensive posture is limited and the potential for defeat increases because being on the defensive we become reactive and action is always faster than reaction. Therefore, we must be very proactive and aggressive if we choose to survive physical assault.
Four. Insight – These are defense skills that include finger strikes, stabs and claws in the eyes of your opponent; blows with the palm of the hand in the eyes or in the face, especially with double blows with the palm under the chin; Knee punches or kicks to the groin or knees. Taking a self-defense class at a reputable, local self-defense studio will go a long way.