You know that feeling when it’s dark out and you’re walking back to your dorm from the parking lot? You start going through worse case scenarios in your head and you find yourself speed walking and scanning the area for the nearest blue light? I typically feel very safe on campus and in Narragansett. However, lingering thoughts still creep in when it’s late and I find myself walking somewhere alone.

Wednesday evening I took a self-defense class at Anna Fascitelli sponsored and taught by Ichiban Karate and Fitness. Brett Gaerber, instructor and owner of Ichiban North Kingstown was our Sensi for the evening and led a group of us through several ways to strike an attacker and how to break their holds. As someone who has absolutely zero background in karate or martial arts, this was all very new and exciting to me.

Here are THREE things you need to know before you take your first self-defense class!

• The instructor isn’t there to scare you
  Yes, the instructor is going to go over some scary scenarios. Brett kept reiterating the fact that his intentions were not to scare us but to educate and prepare us in case we ever found ourselves in the situation.
• Be LOUD
  We were taught that it is important to be loud when trying to defend yourself, that way people around you will see what’s going on and help. In class, Brett encouraged us to be loud when practicing our strikes. This is something that felt a little awkward at first and made me giggle, but by the end of class, I was ferociously shouting as I struck the pads.  
• Forget personal space
  If you’re uncomfortable working with a partner and getting physical with them self defense class may not be for you. We paired up to practice strikes and how to break a hold, we were encouraged to hit the pads our partners were holding aggressively and to hold onto our partner during some exercises. This was a little uncomfortable for me at first but as the class progressed it became easier and less awkward.

I learned so much from this class and already feel more confident just walking down the street. Hopefully I never have to use what I learned in class in real life, however, I definitely feel safer knowing the proper way to defend myself. Remember to walk in groups and be aware of your surroundings, your safety is the most important thing!

I found out about this class through Campus Recreation’s social media and signed up through IMleagues. So make sure to give them a follow to learn about all future events!

Stay safe rams! 
       Leah