Beating Up Guys

I attended a woman's two hour self-defense class this afternoon. It was hosted at the dance studio where Sparkle takes ballet. (A third party came in and taught the class at that location because the couple that owns the studio is a big believer in the class.)

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had fun. I wasn't even sure what to wear. Wander recommended shorts or sweats and sneakers. Instead I opted to wear my normal heels and dress. I figured that if anything happened that's what I'd be wearing, so I might as well learn thus attired.

The class had eight gals in it -- four girls who take dance at the studio, three moms of students, and one of the teachers. I noticed that when we separated into groups, the kids formed a group and the grown-ups formed the other.

The class got off to a slow start with some talking. Then came the fun part. We got to practice the basic philosophy of "release, stun, run." Basically if an assailant has you, first try to escape the grasp, then attack back, then run away. Oh, and yell and scream. First the teachers would describe way that an attacker might gray you - wrist grab, neck grab, on the ground, etc. Then we would practice on each other. Then we got to practice against guys -- the instructor and the owner of the dance studio. Then they turned out the lights and had us close our eyes and "attacked" us and had us defend ourselves. That was the fun part, although it was a bit unnerving to stand with eyes closed while the classmates were screaming and yelling. I used most of my waiting time thinking up stuff to yell, as yelling "no" got a bit boring.

I was a bit annoyed how the teachers always complemented the class. They always said that everyone did wonderful and how we were doing really well. However, I felt that I didn't do very well, and I was right. For amusement's sake, when I got home, I asked Wander to grab my wrist and I tried to get away. I failed miserably. I couldn't get free from him at all.