MSU
Shouts of “no” and the sound of hands striking pads echoed in the halls of the Union on Tuesday evening at the MSU Self-Defense Program and Women’s Resource Center’s self-defense program to instruct women how to stay safe on campus.
Most sessions were open to students, faculty, parents and women ages 13 and up and about a dozen people attended Tuesday’s workshop.
Jodi Roberto Hancock, educational program coordinator of the MSU Women’s Resource Center, said she has gone through the session herself and found it to be powerful information.
“Even for someone who has seen it multiple times, it’s always great to (have) it fresh in your mind,” she said.
Angela Michael, assistant director of Recreational Sports and Fitness Services, said the first hour of the session was aimed toward discussing information about sexual assault and how to be aware of potential dangers.
“We try to break down myths and stereotypes regarding sexual assault, particularly on a college campus,” she said.
Participants sat in a circle as members of the Self-Defense Program discussed a number of sexual assault-related topics, such as how to stay away from dangerous situations, what constitutes as rape and how society often inaccurately blames the victims of sexual assault for the incidents.
During the last hour of the session, the women learned a few techniques to protect themselves if trouble should arise.
“(They’re) not going to be skilled martial artists, but we teach easy-to-learn moves that cause enough pain so that (they) would be able to safely run away and get help,” Michael said.
Instructors taught the women defense movements targeting assailants’ body parts from head to toe.
