Diana Griego Erwin: A self-defense instructor’s ‘just say no’ message packs a wallop
By Diana Griego Erwin – Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, February 22, 2005
“Huhhhh! Huhhhh!” With the force of that sound behind her, a 20ish woman shoves the flattened heel of her hand into her opponent’s nose, taking her attacker out.
In theory.
In the midst of Midge Marino’s self-defense class Monday at California State University, Sacramento, a curriculum Marino brought to the campus, the young woman looks tough, her jeans dark, her body type solid.
Her kinky hair is pulled back in a sensible ponytail. Edit: I’m going to assume the writer means ‘hair with kinks’ here.
Only the white flower stuck in her hair belies that, if she couldn’t stick up for herself physically before this class, she plans on doing so now.
Since Sunday’s column on the Sacramento student teacher who last week fought off a sexual attack using martial-arts skills, readers have been asking about self-defense classes for women.
Marino is just one of those conducting such classes in the Sacramento area, but she’s one of the best-known.
Besides giving young women the skills to defend themselves when attacked, Marino leads personal-safety and rape prevention workshops for everyone from corporate clients and schools to any group of 20 or more women who want to hire her.
Her business is TYFFA - Trade Your Fear For Anger.
On Monday, though, her students don’t look too angry as they practice a flat-palmed jab to the nose.
Some look embarrassed or tentative.
Marino’s former students say she’ll change that by the end of the class.
Marino well understands the good-girl phenomenon, behavior she calls “pink socialization” as opposed to “blue socialization.”
If someone grabs a man or boy forcefully, they get angry.
Women and girls more often shrivel into their fear, which Marino describes as a waste of energy and counterproductive in an attack.
You should be angry. Really angry. Angry enough to fight back.
Surprise is a key word in the class, beginning with Marino herself.
Pass her at the mall and you’d describe her as somebody’s grandma. She’s at least half a head shorter than her shortest student.
But her students’ eyebrows arch in surprise as she demonstrates judo techniques with her trademark “Huhhhh!” and encourages them, “C’mon girls! Get him!”
She became interested in judo while a senior in high school in 1956 when an extremely progressive janitor-bus driver in Vacaville talked airmen from Travis Air Force Base into teaching students judo.
He opened it up to girls; five girls signed up.
In 1968, Marino earned her black belt at the Kodokan Judo Institute in Japan. She’s taught the CSUS classes since 1971, so there are lots of Marino-taught toughies out there.
Students learn to use their hands, feet and minds “as weapons.”
The mental aspect is key. Out-think an assailant. If an attacker grabs your arm to pull you toward a car or bushes, he expects you to resist. It’s what women do.
No, she tells her students.
She demonstrates moving into her attacker.
“Huhhhh!” Wham! Quick jab to nose. His head goes back. “Huhhh!” Knee to groin.
Practice this enough and you’ll just do it in an attack.
That’s the thinking behind most self-defense training. And it’s moves like these that sent last week’s attacker running.
“You don’t stop until when?” Marino asks. “Till he’s incapacitated, on the ground or running away from you. And he will run because this guy is a coward. Why else would he pick on someone he perceives to be weaker than he is? Remember, the element of surprise is still on your side.”
Marino knows self-defense training works. One example?
Not long ago, she got a call from a woman from a class offered nine years ago.
As she was climbing into her car, an attacker shoved her inside, sending her sprawling across the seat.
She was terrified. And then she heard Marino’s voice saying, “Get that guy!”
The woman put up the fight of her life. The coward ran
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/12425282p-13281617c.html
Doesn’t seem to bad.