When four female IU students walked from Teter Quad to the Indiana Memorial Union on Thursday night, they decided to go together. Even on the way to the Feminist Student Association’s self-defense class, the girls knew that in the dark, it was important to be in a group.
Natalie Heald said she feels it’s dangerous to walk alone on campus. She wanted to learn how to protect herself in case she was ever attacked.
“It’s not always convenient to walk home with someone else,” Alexis Smith said.
Heald, Smith, Cori Levy and Katelyn Aguayo joined around 30 other people in the Georgian Room to learn fundamental defense skills. Maddy Allen from the IU Hapkido/Self-Defense club lead the group.
Levy, a member of FSA, said her organization decided to offer this event in the wake of the election, especially with the violence seen at some protests taking place around the country.
The group sat in a circle in the center of the room. Allen began by going over the three A’s of self-defense: awareness, audience and attitude.
“Awareness is exactly what it sounds like,” Allen said. “It’s when you are at the bar and you see some commotion going on.”
With respect to audience, she said it is important to know what is happening around you and avoid things that could be harmful. She said places like Dunn Woods where there have been reports of crimes in the past should be avoided entirely.
Allen and other club members taught the group three main skills for physically defending themselves. She taught them how to do a palm-heel strike, groin kick and a wrist grab.
“My mom would not let me come to college until I took a self-defense class,” Levy said. “It’s important all girls take one, too.”
Allen demonstrated the moves, then the group broke up to practice for themselves.
“You’re not going to hurt me,” one self-defense club member said holding up a target as a girl practiced a groin kick. “I’ll be fine.”
Some girls danced and hopped as they practiced the new skills. As the group performed the moves, Allen and the other instructors continued to remind them to keep their hands up by their face.
“The goal is to off-balance him, so he’s turned,” Allen said while they practiced wrist grabs. “It makes a large difference.”
As the pairs continued to practice, the instructors came around, helping correct the participant’s form and maximize the force of their strikes.
“If this is too easy, grab harder,” Allen called out.
When Allen finished teaching the last skill, she asked the group to rejoin in a circle and reviewed what the group had learned.
Allen shared that she has used these defense skills herself, especially when she takes public transportation. She said she practices being assertive when people won’t stop talking to her on the bus.
Allen encouraged those interested in defense skills to attend future Hapkido/Self-Defense club meetings and said she hoped to teach a more in-depth seminar to the group in the future.
