In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, REACH of Macon County ended October with their first free self-defense class, led by violence prevention education coordinator Elijah Ingraham.
Though billed as a self-defense class, Ingraham doesn’t think that term sends the right message. He said simply trying to fend off an act of violence instead of actively fighting back gives too much power to the aggressor because they can just keep on attacking without fear of repercussions. Therefore, he encourages his students to be prepared to respond to violence forcefully and without hesitation. It doesn’t always come naturally, but if someone else starts a fight, you’ve got to try and end it as quickly as you can through whatever means necessary.
“If you’re just trying to defend yourself instead of fighting back, you may be participating in your own murder,” Ingraham said.
In the introductory class, which was held at Discover Church on Oct. 29, Ingraham led a group of women through some basic counterattacks, such as swinging both arms hard to the left for a “shielding response” in anticipation of a strike from an attacker’s right hand, then taking advantage of the interrupted attack to hit them hard in weak points like the eyes or nose. Mostly though, he focused on everyday behaviors that can prevent violence from happening in the first place. When it comes to random violence, attackers go after the weakest link, so keeping an eye on strangers who are behaving unusually in public and maximizing your awareness by staying off your phone can send a message that you’re not the ideal target.
“I wouldn’t have thought to block this way, but it works,” said Vicki Cole during the class. “I’m learning a lot.”
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 20 Americans are physically abused by an intimate partner every minute, and one in four women (as well as one in seven men) will be severely abused by an intimate partner at some point in their life. COVID-19 made domestic violence an even greater problem by forcing many people in abusive situations to stay home with their abusers more often. While REACH officials think offering self-defense education is a good measure against domestic violence, they emphasize that the burden of prevention shouldn’t be solely on the abused party and that they have many other resources available to help those in need.
“Self-defense is a wonderful risk reduction measure, but it is not considered prevention,” reads REACH’s webpage on the class. “The only person responsible for violence is the person committing the violent act. You are not to blame. Our hope is that self-defense will empower individuals and equip them with useful tools should they ever be needed.”
While the first class was modestly attended, Ingraham hopes the class will continue for future installments and that word of mouth will spread so that more people in Macon County can take their safety into their own hands. Even the foundations class he taught last week could be enough to save a life.
“The main goal is to be safer, to show you how to avoid violence if you can and how to survive it if you can’t,” Ingraham said of the class. “It’s like taking your first swim class. It’s not going to turn you into an Olympic swimmer, but it might save you from drowning.”
For more information on self-defense education and other resources to address domestic violence, call REACH of Macon County at 828-369-5544 or go online to www.reachofmaconcounty.org.