- April 25, 2024
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A man came up behind me, grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I punched him, kicked him, kneed him, and, most importantly, yelled for help.
Thankfully, the man who “attacked” me was a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was helping teach a self-defense class. But despite his protective padding and my knowledge the attack was coming, it felt real.
The FCSO held a three-week women’s self-defense class in September to help locals learn how to prevent dangerous situations from happening and how to fight their way out of one if needed.
During the third week of class, everyone took part in three scenarios based on real-world dangerous situations. In scenario two, I found out what it’s like to be trapped in an elevator with an attacker for 30 seconds. It was the longest 30 seconds of my life.
About 15 seconds in, the “attacker” caught my kick attempt aimed at his groin, which sent me to the ground on my back. I remembered what Sgt. Michael Lutz taught the class in week two: I could utilize my feet as weapons and kick his hands away to get back to a fighting position.
The other two scenarios involved the attacker grabbing your wrist or around your waist. The goal of those scenarios was not to fight back but to get free and run away — “yelling and screaming the entire time,” as Lutz repeatedly said throughout the classes.
The class was filled with over a dozen women of all different sizes and backgrounds. There were educators, young adults, students, business professionals, mothers and many more represented. But all came with the goal of learning how to be prepared and defend themselves.
While I walked away from the final self-defense class with a few red scratches and a scrape on my arm from fighting back, I also walked away with the knowledge of how to prevent dangerous situations from happening — by always staying alert and carrying pepper spray on me — and the know-how to defend myself if something, God-forbid, would ever happen.
I encourage everyone to take a self-defense class. The FCSO holds two fall sessions and two spring sessions yearly with the city of Palm Coast. Interested businesses and groups can also request a group class with the FCSO instructors.
For safety tips and more information about future classes, visit https://bit.ly/2IJ9bRx or contact FCSO at 586-2623.
