Jumpscares are fun and games when it’s spooky season, but no matter the time of year, feeling vulnerable in real life isn’t quite the same.
Imagine walking home late at night alone. What would you do if someone attacked?
"When someone grabs me around the neck, my instinct is to like go limp..." BYU student Sarah Horlacher said.
But through her women’s self defense class, she’s learned, “instead of just going limp, there's so much I can do, and there's so much room for me to actually take control of the situation,”
But the class is a lot more than physical defense. Self defense coach, Michael Pease said the foundational principles for this course are more about recognizing and addressing issues before the situation gets physical.
"The first level is just making ourselves less vulnerable and where we stand if someone's up in our face and recognizing what weak areas we can attack, learning how to use our voice," Pease said.
And at first, Horlacher didn't find that very interesting.
"We were just talking about like, potentially dangerous situations. And I kind of wrote it off. I was like, well, unless we're doing kung fu, this probably isn't that important."
Horlacher said noticing vulnerabilities and learning to her voice has been empowering.
"As soon as I like let it rip and I figured out, my voice had that capacity and it rung through the entire building, I immediately felt more capable, more strong," Horlacher said.
"I like hearing them when they speak up. I like hearing them when they feel more confident because we really do have great success with this course," Pease said.
"And for Pease, that success isn’t just from his expertise. I know God is involved with what I'm teaching. I know God is involved with what they're learning," Pease said.
For students who ever find themselves in dangerous situations, help can be found at women's services or the Title IX office at BYU.