by Johnyne Barraclough
Daily Lobo Guest Columnist
I am a senior here at UNM and have been taking classes for four years.
I never really worried about being assaulted except for when the occasional rape was reported in the local papers. Even then I only thought about it for a couple of weeks and then my mind wandered to the next issue at hand.
The other day my father asked me if I wanted to attend a self-defense workshop he was sponsoring. I agreed because I never had taken one and, what the heck, it was free.
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My roommate and I went and we decided that it was one of the best decisions we have ever made. I walked in with this picture of a huge man in a suit who was going to attack me, powerful women who think men are awful and the fear of being left black and blue.
Every preconception that I had could not have been farther from the truth. The instructors were wonderful, kind and caring. The male instructor was this huge teddy bear dressed in this ridiculous suit. The best part was that I left with a smile on my face and an idea of how to protect myself.
The class focuses on your being able to save yourself from an assault. It starts out teaching you where your own personal boundaries are and how to say "NO."
There is some physical contact with the big scary guy in the funny suit, but you get to kick his butt, not vice versa. The instructors teach you the basics and that is all that is really needed. I walked in frightened and left feeling powerful and in charge.
I was one of those people that had this preconception of what a self-defense class is and I was completely wrong. I am not writing this because I am now a woman who can fend for herself. I am writing this because I am now a woman who is confident about who she is and what she can do.
Your Safety/New Mexico organized this particular workshop. There are different kinds of classes that range from three-hour sessions to 20-hour sessions. There are also classes offered that benefit men and children. To find out more information write: YS/NM P.O. Box 8350 Santa Fe, NM 87504-8350 or visit the Web site at www.yoursafetynm.org.
