Late last week, considering October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, Rio Hondo has hosted several workshops one of which is being focused on Self-Defense. It is paramount to learn about personal safety. This workshop not only demonstrated what to do during a violent altercation but how to also stop an action before it begins. The hostesses of this workshop hoped to have equipped their audience with valuable skills to navigate the challenges of the outside world.

Domestic Violence Awareness

Nowadays, it is a precedent to know of the concerns of domestic violence and the hardships it brings. The significance of knowing how to protect yourself if a confrontation becomes violent is important. This is why this workshop is so important. The outstanding hosts of the workshop. One of the hostesses, Daniella Herrera, a campus advocate for the Violence Intervention Program, shared what this workshop was truly about.

The True Defense

“This is not a workshop on learning how to fight,” Herrera said, “more this is about learning how to get out of a dangerous situation.”

The lecture has four parts to it, two of mental and physical subjects, being, staying alert and what to do when the time calls for a person to get physical. The other two parts are what to be weary of I.E., social media and manipulation from people. started with a lecture on what is to be the most important thing to have when dealing with dangerous situations. Alertness, the need to pay attention to our surroundings. To the lecturers, it is the best thing to have even if you’re not in danger.

“It is a lot about being alert,” said Lizette Villanueva, “It is the best way to survive without having to lift a finger.”

To make a clearer statement, Villanueva had used several of the audience members and showed them what to do if a suspicious person had come up to them. It showed how to assert yourself rather than having to take up a combat ready position.

Safety Online

In the second part of the workshop was a lecture on the safety and care when perusing social media platforms and dating apps. With social media being a staple in everyone’s lives nowadays, taking precautions is the best way to keep yourself and your data from falling into the wrong hands. It is also important to note that they also warned on what you post too. Without knowing it. You can be giving off your location just by taking pictures or making videos of yourself.

Defense Using Words

The third part was about manipulation, or what an aggressor might do to you without needing to be physically violent. Often aggressors for this work, aggressors will look for someone who is vulnerable. Vulnerability can stem from being unaware of your surroundings, like having your earphones in your ears or looking down at your feet all the time. The best way to avoid this is to make sure to walk with your head high to show that you’re alert of your surroundings.

The last thing the lecturers did for this part was demonstrate how the tone of your voice can de-escalate a situation.

When Things Go South

“Practicing no is also a good way to help us set boundaries,” Herrera said. The fourth and final part was on the demonstration of what to do when a dangerous situation has escalated enough where you finally must be prepared for whatever happens. Villanueva lectures on the many self-defense weapons that can be of use for this kind of altercation I.E., tasers, mace or pepper spray, a type of poker, even your car keys.

Villanueva and Herrera demonstrated what to do when you don’t have such tools for altercations like these. In turn, they showed what a student could do with their bare fists. These were quick actions to make such as going for the eyes, nose, throat, and if it’s a male attacker… that part. They also showed us what is the best way to kick.

“The thing about self-defense is to cause enough pain as possible to the aggressor to give us a chance to get away,” said Herrera. In conclusion, the self-defense workshop helped students in learning how to face things head on with/or without having to get themselves hurt. And if they must, they will now be ready to face whatever it is that might affect their safety. Rio Hondo continues to go through this month bringing awareness of domestic violence.