With the increase in reports of violence against women, learning self-defence techniques becomes more important by the day.
To prove it, three Weekender journalists undertook a self-defence course at Western Combatives to see what tips they had for women that might make them feel a little safer.
Western Combatives founder and instructor Jeff Phillips said one of the key starting points in self-defence is to maintain a distance.
“So, the first thing is you’ve got to keep your distance,” Phillips said.
“What happens is a lot of offenders have ways that they close that gap somewhat innocently. It is sort of under the radar where they might walk up and ask for the time… on the surface it doesn’t appear sinister, but it may be and that’s the thing.
“It’s about recognising that and working out… how to deal with them and to speak with them in a way to not exacerbate or escalate it and also to keep that safe distance because if they decided to do something physical, it’s about being proactive.”
If keeping your distance doesn’t work, Phillips said you have to be prepared to act physically.
“For women the best thing you can have is the element of surprise,” Phillips said.
“More often than not people select people they think aren’t going to fight back and you want them to think that because then they relax a little bit. So, what we do instead is we have our hands up and we talk from here; that way if they then want to grab us our hands are already somewhere in that proximity that you are going to be able to do something to assist you in that moment in time.
“If your hands are behind your back or your arms are folded, you are not going to get them up in time, that’s just the reality of it.”
Phillips taught the journalists the basic movements of striking before testing out the skills they learnt in a simulated attack in a room made to look like a bus.
Western Combatives offers women’s self-defence courses throughout the year, which end in a one-of-a-kind simulated attack scenario, like the bus simulation.
“On the last week of the course we do a thing called ‘The Gauntlet’,” Phillips said.
“We don’t just give out certificates, people have to earn them.
“So basically, in each of our rooms we will have a different scenario which is common places where women get attacked and we try to replicate those.
“They can select the intensity they go through it… when I say intensity it is the intensity of the attacks, so how hard they attack you and all the other psychological components like the dialogue, they will yell at you, they will shout at you, which is another big factor in this which a lot of other gyms don’t deal with, which is a huge component.”
For more information about the course visit the website at http://www.westerncombatives.com.au.
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.