By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson
FOR THE EAST COUNTY CALIFORNIAN
One of the keys to self-defense is “awareness” said County of San Diego Sheriff’s self-defense instructor Joseph Jarjura. “Pay attention to your gut” he continued noting know where you are in terms of danger level and who you are around.
Jarjura’s tips:
By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson
FOR THE EAST COUNTY CALIFORNIAN
One of the keys to self-defense is “awareness” said County of San Diego Sheriff’s self-defense instructor Joseph Jarjura. “Pay attention to your gut” he continued noting know where you are in terms of danger level and who you are around.
Jarjura’s tips:
Park in well-lit areas
Do not be distracted or pre-occupied
Do not go to certain areas alone
Go for the attacker’s eyes, groin, and throat when you defend yourself
Many martial arts studios teach self-defense classes. The Self Defense For All organization offers R.A.D. (rape aggression defense courses) and other classes all with the sole purpose of learning how to defend yourself in public and even during a home invasion. Self Defense For All’s Charles E. Scott Jr. lists the appropriate ages for taking one of his self-defense classes as 13-100. In other words—no one is exempt from knowing or learning how to defend themselves.
Scott’s classes are taught all over the region but his La Mesa classes this spring include Self-Defense & Education for Seniors according to his website.
Floyd Burk, owner of Trad Am Karate studios in Santee and Alpine, stressed “Don’t be there, don’t get touched, and don’t go quietly.” Adding “Use hands, elbows, legs, or even a headbutt. Use controlled anger to enhance your energy.”
The San Diego Community College District Police Department has a R.A.D. for Women (rape aggression defense) class and, introduced in 2016, the R.A.D. for Men (resisting aggression with defense) class for students, faculty, staff, and guests.
Goals set forth for men:
Raise their awareness of aggressive behavior
Recognize how aggressive behavior impacts their lives
Learn steps to avoid aggressive behavior
Consider how they can be part of reducing aggression and violence
And practice hands-on self-defense skills to resist and escape aggressive behavior directed toward them.
Visit The Bureau of Justice Statistics website at www.bjs.gov, whose mission is to collect and analyze crime, to find out their definitions of rape and sexual assaults in many populations and their collected statistics as well as data relating to civilians, rape among prison populations, and a myriad of other topics.
RADKIDS® Inc. is a national organization, based in Massachusetts, committed to the training and development across the country of certified teachers that includes certified teachers in San Diego county. SDSU’s Children’s Center currently has two on staff. Its mission is to teach and provide choices and options for overall safety in today’s world.
Cell phone apps and cases also offer everything from panic buttons to mace spray in the case. Spraytech and MyForce app are a few of the products out there for smartphones but it remains to the consumer to find the laws in their area for what is legal and what product they like.
