OWLS' women’s self defense class a striking success
The first thing any self-defense instructor will tell you is that the fight is always won in your head…before the physical confrontation even begins.
What this means is that if you don’t have the correct attitude, knowledge, and confidence, you will lose more often than you’ll win. And, it doesn’t matter how young or old you are.
“You’re never too young or too old to learn to defend yourself.” Butler County Sheriff Deputy Zane Nickell told the group of women standing in the Miami Hamilton gymnasium. “Today we’re here to show you how to do just that.”
The Women’s Self Defense Class, sponsored by the Campus OWLS, was geared specifically towards women and taught by Zane Nickell, a master of the martial arts, who trains members of law enforcement all over the world. Deputy Sheriff Kim Peters, also skilled in the art of self-defense, assisted Nickell, who had just returned from a training trip to The Philippines and Japan.
“Women are not the weaker sex.” Peters declared. “We may not all have the same upper body strength men have, but we do have stronger lower body strength. Women need to learn to use that strength to protect themselves in case of an attack.”
Nickell and Peters pointed out that:
- If you are a woman, you are a target for certain kinds of criminals.
- The best self-protection for most crimes is prevention.
- If prevention fails, your best chance is to fight back. But you must know HOW to fight back.
“Your strongest weapon is your voice,” Peters said. “If someone attacks you, scream for all your worth. In many cases, the attacker will back off as soon as he realizes you’re drawing attention.”
If that doesn’t work, then you need to keep from getting hit in a vital area. That can be accomplished in several ways.
“Get your hands up in front of your face to protect your head and keep your mouth closed with your teeth clinched. When your mouth is open, it is more likely that your jaw will be broken if he hits you in the face.” Nickell explained. “Circle away from the attacker’s power side. If he has his right hand cocked back, circle to the right and if he has the left hand cocked, circle to the left. Use your strongest weapons against his weakest targets. In other words, kick him in the knee, groin or lower abdomen. Kick straight ahead using the bottom of your foot like you would kick in a door. Smash the attacker with your elbow in his face, throat and neck. Try your best to get a barrier between you and the attacker, but don’t let him back you into a corner. Keep moving AWAY from him.” Nickell advised.
The instructors also taught several pressure point moves, sending participants to the floor with one pinch of a nerve—a move thirteen year old Tess Stanifer tried on the instructor with the same results.
Several participants put what they had learned into practice when Nickell became the "role-playing aggressor" in a "Red Man Suit." Deborah Lawrence, PFD, went one-on-one with Nickell, as did recent graduate, Courtney Manning and current students including, Amanda Beckett, Jennifer Hoskins, and Samantha Ledford. All agreed that the class gave them the basics as well as the confidence necessary to defend themselves should the need arise.
“However,” Nickell and Peters both stressed, “In order to keep that confidence and to maintain what you have learned, practice is essential. Even those who have completed more detailed classes will forget what they learned within 72 hours if they don’t practice.”
Unfortunately, the world is a dangerous place, especially for women. But, for those attending the self-defense class, the odds just became a little more even.
Special thanks to Carol Stubblefield, Stacey Ellison and the Campus OWLS for providing lunch!
Photos: Top: Instructor and corrections officer Zane Nickell and Deputy Sheriff Kim Peters (both Butler County Sheriff's office) demonstrate a self-defense move.
Bottom: Miami Hamilton student Samantha Ledford spars with Zane Nickell who is wearing the "Red Man" suit. The suit allows the student to practice hits, kicks and punches without anyone getting hurt.
This class was so successful that another is already in the planning stages. Keep an eye on Miami Hamilton’s home page for more information.
