Students take charge, practice self-defense

By Jeanetta Bradley, The Orion

In the midst of school shootings and debates about carrying guns on campus, students are thinking about how to protect themselves. And they are finding ways to, from self-defense classes to carrying personal weapons.

Sophomore Kendra Carson decided to buy a knife to protect herself, she said. She has owned it for about a year.

“It’s small, but it’s sharp and could do some damage,” she said.

Although nothing has happened to her, Carson carries the knife because she has heard about stabbings and people getting robbed in Chico, she said.

One time she wished she had the knife when a situation got out of control at her house on Nord, Carson said.

“There was a lot of yelling, and I couldn’t get inside my house,” she said. “Two guys from across the street came over, and one pulled my friend Candy down the stairs by her hair.”

Carson’s friend, sophomore Candy Dallosta, carries pepper spray, but it wasn’t the situation at Carson’s house that prompted her to get it, she said.

“I got the pepper spray six months ago after coming home to find that someone had broken in to my house,” Dallosta said.

She carries it at all times, and it got her out of a situation with police, she said.

“I was walking home drunk, and police pulled over and started asking me if I was intoxicated and telling me it wasn’t safe,” Dallosta said. “But I told them I had pepper spray, and they decided to let me go.”

The Women’s Center offers a couple of items for self-defense.

“We sell pepper spray for $6 and give away red whistles that go on your keychain,” said senior Kelly Dolcini, who works at the Women’s Center.

Dolcini carries pepper spray, but most of the time she has everyday items ready in case of an attack, she said.

“Usually I have my keys on me because they are already out of my purse and in my hands,” Dolcini said. “If someone comes up to grab you, you can’t say, ‘Hold on a minute, and let me get out my pepper spray.’”

Police escorts are available at night, she said. Students can use the blue phones on campus to call for an escort.

If student are uncomfortable with owning a weapon, self-defense classes are available.

University Police Detective Corinne Beck helps teach Rape Aggression Defense classes for females.

The class is internationally recognized, and sessions are available for specific groups including women, men and children, although Chico is only certified for the women’s course, Beck said.

The class teaches safety tips and has simulation exercises, she said. It is a physical and interactive course.

Class instructors also reveal common misconceptions about attacks.

“One of the biggest myths is that people will get raped by a big, bushy-haired, monster-man that jumps out of the bushes when, in reality … most sexual assaults happen by someone who knows their first name,” Beck said.

The class is held twice a semester and has about 12 to 20 members, Beck said. They are also trying to set a class up for this summer.

If a group expresses interest, a class will be set up, Beck said.

“This is the one class where we teach information we hope the student will never have to use,” she said.

As far as weapons go, they are only as good as people knowing how to use them, Beck said.

“With pepper spray, you need to be very close to the attacker – closer than you want to be – and if it’s windy, it can spray right back into your face,” she said. “If you want, buy two, and go to an open field on a nonwindy day to practice.”

Although the R.A.D. course is only for women, men can take the Jujitsu/self-defense class, which is open to all students.

The class teaches rolling and falling techniques, escaping from various holds, applying holds and joint locks and some basic throws, said Jeff Meyers, who teaches the course at the beginning and intermediate levels.

Meyers thinks the class is a start for learning self-defense, but more than just classes are needed to be fully competent, he said.

“The techniques taught are designed to work even when performed by a smaller person against a larger person, so they are very useful and effective,” he said. “However, some of the most important self-defense skills – confidence, awareness and the ability to stay calm in stressful situations – cannot be learned in 16 classes.”

But Meyers has heard of people using the techniques in real-life situations, he said.

“Almost all of the stories I hear involve students who literally ‘save their own skin’ by using the rolling and falling techniques,” Meyers said. “I am glad to hear that most students are able to avoid physical confrontation.”

Many students in the class respond positively to what they learn, including sophomore Chris Sienko.

“I’m taking the class mostly for personal interest, but definitely see the added benefit of learning self-defense,” Sienko said. “And I practice at home to keep everything fresh in my mind.”

Although the class focuses on physical interaction with several body parts, one of the most important tools a student can use is his or her mind, he said.

“Your best self-defense weapon is your brain,” Meyers said. “Use it to keep yourself out of trouble.”