Women's self-defense class scheduled

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  A self-defense seminar that organizers hope will better prepare women with the skills necessary to defend themselves during an assault is scheduled Sept. 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. inside the Tennis Bubble.

"Every two minutes a woman is assaulted," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jersouk Myers, Mass. Army National Guard Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. "In addition, one of every four women in this country will be assaulted during their lifetime."

As a result of these alarming statistics and in concert with a Secretary of Defense mandated stand-down this past June, the Mass. Army National Guard's Modern Army Combative Program personnel set into motion a seminar to help women during times of crisis.

"We wanted to provide a seminar to women that will equip them with the tools necessary to escape if they are ever in a dangerous predicament," said Myers. "It comes down to survival."

Within the four hour block, a MACP trained instructor in self-defense will guide women through basic to more complex self-defense techniques.

"No one who has ever been assaulted thought they were going to be," said Spc. Kyleen Kelleher, Mass. Army National Guard SARC office assistant. "This seminar is intended to help women avert an attack."

Organizers opened this session to women only in order to provide a training environment that would be more comfortable for those attending. The session is open to any military, family member or civilian personnel.

MACP personnel are planning future sessions tailored to self-defense techniques for men.

To register for the seminar or to learn more, contact Myers at Jersouk.myers.mil@mail.mil or Kelleher at kyleen.r.kelleher.mil@mail.mil.