Traverse City Women’s Self Defense Program Is Turning Potential Victims Into Warriors
Over the last several years the violent attacks against women in Northern Michigan and specifically in Traverse City has been on the rise. Local Traverse City newspapers, TV and radio stations report these scary attacks. Women learning to effectively recognize, deter and defend against predators is becoming more and more a reality. After a violent sexual assault against a female college student several years ago was brought to my attention by a parent, I implemented a comprehensive Women’s Self Defense program to empower Traverse City women with the weapons they need to be safe.
The Seung-ni Martial Arts Academy located in Traverse City, where I am the master instructor, started offering Women’s Self Defense Seminars every quarter. The program has been a great success. The students include girls as young as seven and high schoolers, college bound co-eds, mom and grandmas. The course is hands on and offers practical and effective training in a friendly environment that is non-intimidating. The female participants learn skills drawn from various martial arts including Taekwondo, Hapkido, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Krav Maga, Sayoc Kali and Muay Thai.
The Traverse City women learn how to use their clothing as a weapon against an assaulter, how to strike to pressure points to disable and disorient, how to best respond if grabbed from behind or even thrown to the ground. Because the environment is welcoming and “for women only” the students will start enjoying themselves so much you often hear laughter – which is great because it means they are comfortable and able to then truly focus.
The residents of Northern Michigan in addition to learning martial arts street skills also come away with important factual knowledge they need to be safe. For instance, statistics show that the number one place for female abductions is from store parking lots. Second, they are made aware that they should never wait to put up a 100% defense to a predator (hoping for a better opportunity) because stats show that fighting full out from the first moment gives you the best chance for survival and escape. Third they get little tips like: 1) travel with a companion if possible; 2) keep your cell phone to your ear; 3) make eye contact and be assertive even if nervous; and 4) fight as hard as you can for as long as you can to let the attacker know you are not easy prey and he is in for a real fight!
The Seung-ni women’s self defense courses in Traverse City are producing confident street-smart females who pack a punch and are nobody’s victim.
