The National Violence Against Women Survey reports that 64 percent of women report being raped, physically assaulted or stalked by a current or former partner.
According to the BYU Women’s Resource Center, female students on college campuses face a disproportionately high risk of experiencing sexual violence and people 18 to 24 experience the highest risk of stalking.
To help women face this problem, the BYU Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club is hosting its third annual Women’s Self Defense Workshop on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom.
At the event, members of the BYU Jiu-Jitsu Club will teach participants a series of self-defense moves including initial contact, keeping the attacker at a distance and blocking punches, escaping wrist control, escaping front choke, escaping a hair grab, escaping a bear hug, and defense from ground with standing attacker.
Participants do not need to understand the list of moves provided and need no previous experience. The event is only for women and open to the community as well.
Women do not need to attend the entire event. The workshop is broken into three sections: defending from the ground, defending while standing and verbal defense.
“Verbal defense is a way to prevent it from getting physical,” said Frank Bright, president of the BYU Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club. “It is things you can do to prevent them from attacking.”
The club claims that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a record of demonstrated effectiveness against trained fighters from various other styles. It is widely respected as the most effective martial art. When done well, it allows people to defend themselves against an opponent who is larger, stronger and more aggressive.
The event is also sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center. The center tries to reduce violence in relationships.
“[Our goal] is to help prevent abuse in every form and to create a culture of nonviolence,” said Elise Peterson, office manager for the the Women’s Resource Center. “If we really want to reduce violence, we need to start with ourselves.”
Lt. Arnold Lemmon of the BYU Police Department also gave a few personal safety tips for women to help them avoid dangerous situations in the first place.
“Be aware of your surroundings at all times and trust your instincts,” Lemmon said in an email. “Know where you are going and the safest way to get there. Also, have a plan of action in mind.”
