Murphy – Reach of Cherokee County Inc. recently held a self-defense class for women at Penland Senior Center, where women learned self-protection techniques as well as situational awareness, an important component of keeping yourself safe.
The instructor was Tommy Jackson, whose background in law enforcement as well as the U.S. military made him an ideal teacher for the two-hour course. Seating was limited, with about a dozen women in attendance.
Reach and Amanda Hamby, who organized the class, plan on holding more self-defense courses in the future, including one for women and children as well as a class for seniors.
Jackson and Hamby demonstrated several hands-on techniques, as well as other various examples of contact for the class, explaining which ones worked better – and why.
Being aware of your surroundings, knowing what to do if a situation occurs and actually doing something, is key to survival.
“You must have the mindset to do something,” Jackson said.
Some other key points discussed were locations on the offending person’s body to focus on regarding a strike for maximum effect, and how not to become an easy target. A training video showed what can happen when a person does nothing in an escalating situation.
Hamby said of the class when it was over, “It was great, and I thought Tommy did a wonderful job.”
A follow-up class to this one will be announced later. For details, call Hamby at 837-2097.