Most people try not to think about what it would mean to protect themselves against someone who means them harm. Which technique must they use to properly take out a kneecap? How hard should they hit someone to break a bone?
While unpleasant, knowing the answers to those questions can mean the difference between life and death, because the only person who is going to stand up for you in a dangerous situation is you.
That’s the philosophy David Holzer teaches his self-defense students at the Pittsburgh Combat Club. “We all have the God-given right to protect ourselves,” he said. “If someone is coming to attack us who means us bodily harm, then we have the right to protect ourselves. I feel like it’s been my overriding motto since I started practicing (martial arts). It doesn’t matter who is attacking you. You have the right to protect yourself.”
Although Holzer is trained in martial arts, the self-defense classes he teaches are a completely different kind of training. Martial arts teachings are flawed when it comes to real-world, self-defense scenarios, so he’s taken what he’s learned and created a more practical set of skills for his students, who are both men and women aged 18 years or older.
“We’re giving you the physical skills to fight back, but we’re also giving you the emotional skills you need to use those physical skills in the moment,” Holzer said. For some of his students, the emotional component of being attacked can be a barrier to survival. It’s why his students train using partner drills that mimic the kind of real-life situations that might require the physical self-defense moves they learn.
Each session is 90 minutes, and the first three classes are free, so students can decide if the training is right for them before committing financially. Holzer uses an application process to weed out people who aren’t in the right frame of mind to learn how these skills work and to use them appropriately. “I’m literally teaching someone how to hurt another human being, so the onus is on me to decide whether someone should be taught those skills.”
One of the guiding principles his students learn is to trust their gut. “If the hair on the back of your neck is standing up, get out of the situation,” he said. “The biggest problem right now is we want to think everyone operates the same way we do. The reality is, there are people who don’t play by the rules of society. Never let your ego or societal conditions say, ‘Oh, that won’t happen to me.’”
Before taking his classes, Holzer said students should let him know if they have any ailments or conditions so he can modify their lessons. For the most part, the lessons are safe for everyone, but he warns that there’s touching and other contact, so students must prepare themselves for that sense of violation because it’s the reality of how self-defense moves are taught.
Women who are uncomfortable taking mixed self-defense classes have another option. Lioness Martial Arts specializes in Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD), a comprehensive approach that teaches students strategies and techniques to de-escalate and defend against everything from verbal harassment to physical assault.
Mona MacDonald started the business in 2003 with her friend, Susan Dunn, who has since retired. Both women were martial artists who learned their craft from the Feminist Karate Union. “We started our school specifically to teach self-defense to women,” said MacDonald.
Instead of just teaching kicking and punching skills, MacDonald said her program gives students a range of techniques they can use in any situation. “People can decide which tools they want to pull out before they defend themselves,” she said.
For instance, using your voice can set boundaries and de-escalate a situation and may be more appropriate than getting physical with an aggressor, said MacDonald. One of the most powerful tools women have with them all the time is their voice. If someone is harassing or bothering you, MacDonald said women can often stop that behavior with their voices and body language. “As women, we’re targeted for harassment or violence and may not be equipped with any other tools to deal with that other than looking away, looking down, and hoping the behavior stops. But if we also have the tool of standing up and projecting confidence with our body and our voice and our words, that often will stop bad behavior before it ever gets to a higher level of physical confrontation.”
Lioness Martial Arts teaches two kinds of classes for self-defense that happen three to four times each year. The next series starts in early April and consists of four, 2-hour classes for eight hours of instruction total. It’s a beginner’s level empowerment self-defense class for women aged 15 and older.
Intermediate self-defense classes are available to women who previously completed the beginner’s class. “We offer this level less frequently because not everyone wants to take an advanced class,” said MacDonald.
Customized classes on self-defense and personal safety are also available for corporations, schools, hospitals and nonprofit organizations on request. They’re offered online or on-site and consist of one to eight hours of training.
Students can learn most of the skills needed in a short period, MacDonald said, so there’s no need for ongoing classes. “The skills are designed to be taught in a short time and accessible to everybody. The physical parts can be modified for people with physical limitations.”
For more information about either program, visit www.pittsburghcombatclub.com or www.lionessmartialarts.com.