Grubbs to offer self-defense class for women
Families in Crisis, a local shelter for victims of domestic abuse, will be sponsoring a free Women?s Self Defense Class this Thursday, April 26 beginning at 7:30 p.m. The class will be held at McMinnville School of Karate, located at 101 Mullican Street, and will be taught by Michael Grubbs. The class will be for ages 16 and up and space is limited, so call to reserve a spot at 473-6543.
Families in Crisis financial administrator Mary Wolford said she got the idea for the class through her own involvement with martial arts.
?I take martial arts and Mr. Grubbs and I had talked once before about this type of class,? Wolford said. ?He tries to have women?s self defense classes twice a year. He says his research has shown that women are more susceptible to being accosted in the springtime and in the winter. In the winter when they?re shopping for Christmas presents, and in the springtime when they are beginning to get out and enjoy the sunshine with their purse on their arm and perhaps not as watchful as they should be.?
Wolford said FIC had been interested in holding some sort of class about women?s safety, and Grubbs class seemed like a perfect fit.
?It?s something that we?ve wanted to do anyway,? Wolford said, ?so we just kind of combined forces. We are going to handle the sponsorship, provide refreshments and that kind of thing, and he?s going to use his skills to teach women how to take care of themselves.?
Wolford says women shouldn?t be reluctant to take the class, since it doesn?t really involve a lot of physical activity, just advice on how to handle potentially dangerous situations, along with a few techniques that most women can master easily.
?It?s a lot simpler than people realize,? Wolford said. ?He teaches you techniques like when you?re walking through a parking lot to keep your eye out for potential dangers. Not so much how to knock somebody down or knock somebody out, but to pay attention to your surroundings. Looking under your car as you approach and in the back seat before you get in it. Have your keys out and in your hand before you leave the store so you don?t stand there fumbling through your purse for them as you stand by your car. A lot of little simple techniques. Better to be safe than sorry.?
Grubbs says he enjoys teaching these classes and hopes they can help women learn to avoid, or if they can?t be avoided, to be able defuse bad situations.
?This is a way I can give back to the community,? Grubbs said. ?These classes are intended to give women the confidence to deal with this type of situation. Women need to know they can stop an attacker if they know the right techniques, and that?s what I try to teach them here.?