Defense Against Predators

One in eight women will be raped sometime in their lifetime. That’s a staggering 13 percent. It may not seem like a big percentage, but it’s absolutely terrifying that anyone has to go through the emotional and physical pain of being sexually abused.

Rape is widely believed to be an under reported crime because of the stigma involved and the self-doubt of victims who may blame themselves. From the articles I have read, it seems that women are afraid to come forward about their victimization.

Today’s culture is arguably one where rape and sexual assault are supported by societal norms of male aggression and female weakness. For a very long time, the responsibility for rape has been shouldered by women; at the same time they have largely accepted the notion that they do not possess the knowledge to protect themselves.

One of the most dangerous places for women is a college campus: the place we go to find ourselves. The friends we make and the classes we enroll in shape where you will eventually go and become. It’s supposed to be safe, right? Wrong. Among college students in Utah, between 20 and 25 percent of women reported experiencing a completed or attempted rape.

College campus are luckily on the lookout for these actions. Yet, not all women feel safe after the attack has happened.

What can all of these women do to dodge their predator and even stop the rapist’s actions completely?

Kent Hendrix learned briefly about these statistics and decided he wanted to take action in teaching women of every age self-defense training that could potentially stop an attack. Hendrix owns and teaches a rape self-defense class in Sugar house, known as Kishindo Martial Arts Academy. They teach to women, of any age, the knowledge and skills you should obtain to protect yourself in a harmful situation where you may feel unsafe.

Many smart and well-meaning people say that the solution to the problem is simply to teach men not to rape women. Unfortunately, this strategy is far too simplistic and naïve. While it is true that men should be taught not to rape, at the same time, women simply cannot count on such training to take place.

“I feel it’s a necessary act [of self-defense] that all women need to learn,” Hendrix said. “Everyone gets abused, but women seem to be a more common target of interest. It is every woman’s right to protect herself.”

Self-defense offers women an option for risk reduction and maintaining their safety in ways that increase their freedom to the world, rather than limiting it. Self-defense is also very empowering, and can change women’s beliefs about what they are capable of and what they are entitled to. And lastly, self-defense advocates and instructs the victim that rape and sexual assault is always the fault and responsibility of the perpetrator, and never the fault or responsibility of the target, victim, or survivor.

Growing up, we are given a maturation lesson, complementary items, and deodorant. What is lacking in this small feminine kit is everything we don’t know about growing up and becoming a woman. Rape, abuse, consent. These can all be frightening, especially to those 1 in 8 women who will be raped sometime in their lifetime.

The statistics are shocking, but the real shocker is that most women have no idea how to defend themselves in these situations.

So why is self-defense training not of paramount importance for each and every high school and college aged young woman?

High schools should offer self-defense classes that are tailored for young women and as these students transition to college they should receive additional training. They also need to learn to resist traditional gender-role socialization so that they are able to harness their innate ability to defend themselves and claim their right to actualize their potential. We have a yoga class, why not a defense strategy class?

As a high school student myself, if there was class where I could learn how to protect myself, or even others, against predators, I wouldn’t think twice about signing up. Every young person, be that male or female, should be able to defend themselves in harmful situations. So, that’s exactly what I did.

Even though it wasn’t through Highland, I signed up with a couple of friends for a private lesson with Hendrix and his daughter, Allison Hendrix. We were taught anything from spotting a predator to correctly throwing a punch. We learned multiple valuable lessons that we can now use to our advantage when our surroundings feel unsafe and or suspicious to us.

I entered the CrossFit gym not expecting to leave with the knowledge I gained. They taught me to understand my body, and that if this terrible thing ever happened to me, I would know the things every woman wishes to know in these circumstances. Defending yourself isn’t about just throwing punches. I learned this over the course of an hour. Defending yourself is about understanding why you are needing to fight back. They opened my eyes to something my mind didn’t want to wrap around, it’s an uncomfortable topic. But now, I’m more comfortable with the subject, having the understanding that there is, in fact, a way to stop the actions of a predator.

“Sexual violence is never something to joke about,” Allison said. “It’s a subject that both men and women should learn about and take seriously. The actions you can take could potentially change and even save your life.”

The Hendrix’s work together as father and daughter to teach and to encourage all women to understand that they can stand up for themselves and protect their bodies and minds from harm.

Self-defense training for women should be a priority. The basic needs of personal security seem to be fulfilled by the presence of a security camera, the purchase of mace, a download of a safety app, calling the police or relying on the presence of a “trusted” male figure to ward off an attacker. It seems as though the thought of a woman becoming her first and last line of defense against the threat or act of violence is perhaps only found in the final scene of a revenge films.

I encourage every woman reading this to think about this happening to them. Now take a minute and see yourself fighting back. Throwing punches, knowing you are doing harm to the person trying to harm you. A simple rape self-defense class can potentially put you out of harm’s way.