A self-defense workshop can be an important tool for personal development as well
as an educational and energizing group activity. Our workshops are designed to be
accessible for all ages and abilities and include information on the realities of
violence in our community, particularly violence against women.
Give us a call if your department or student group would like to sponsor a workshop.
These workshops are one to two hours in length and FREE. Call 893-3778 to schedule
a workshop or ask questions.
Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center (SBRCC) offers a four hour self-defense class for
women every month. They also provide classes on request. Contact Alena Donovan at
(805)963-6832 ext. 29 or alena@sbrcc.net
Both RPEP and SBRCC’s self-defense program uses a feminist model created by women,
for the needs of women, from the experiences of women. It is based on empowerment
of women as opposed to protection of women. Our aim is to provide women with options.
There is an advantage to having a female instructor as a role model who has similar
experiences surviving as a woman. All-women classes tend to provide an easier atmosphere
in which to discuss sensitive issues.
If you want to look for a self-defense class offered by a martial arts academy,
the following are some things to consider and questions to ask:
Does the instructor know the difference between martial arts and self-defense?
Martial
arts are stylized physical art forms that take years to learn. Self-defense teaches
a system of thinking about safety, only a part of which is physical. The physical
techniques are simple but effective moves to stop an attacker long enough to escape.
Does the class teach awareness and avoidance techniques? Verbal techniques? Learning
how to avoid an attack is as important as learning how to disable an attacker. There
are many success stories about women who talked their way out of danger.
Does the instructor believe that you should always fight back? Fighting back is
a choice. Each person and each situation is unique and fighting back is not always
the best option. Many women who have been sexually assaulted chose not to fight
because they felt thatw as the best way to survive. They did survive and they will
recover.
Has the instructor taken a course from a rape crisis center or in some other way
learned the realities of sexual assaults against women? Myths about sexual assault
are abundant. A self-defense course should address those.
Facts about self-defense:
Women can and do defend themselves all the time, but you rarely hear about it. According
to the Federal Crime Register 69% of all women who are attacked get away.
Self-defense and martial-arts are not the same thing. Women with no martial arts
training have successfully defended themselves against a variety of attacks.
Most self-defense techniques do not depend on physical strength. Leverage and surprise
can be used against the attacker’s weak points.
There are more differences in strength between individuals than between women and
men. Women tend to be significantly stronger in their legs and hips than men.