Visualize poking an attacker?s eyes or elbowing him in the stomach.
Katie Turyna taught these and other techniques at a basic self-defense class in Wilde Lake in Columbia.
“There are shockers and stoppers,” Turyna said, referring to the ways to stun and stall an attack, like shining a flashlight in his eyes, and halt an attack with a jab. “That can give you just enough time to get away.”
Turyna co-founded Women Fighting Back, an organization in Howard and Harford counties that teaches physical moves and confidence-building techniques to empower women against attackers.
Turyna, an assault victim, first started taking self-defense at Towson University and has taught classes for almost two years.
“If I can help one woman not get assaulted, not get attacked, then I?ve made a difference,” Turyna said.
The first drill in the recent class involved using their voices to ward off a potential attack. The women partnered up, one posing as an overaggressive saleswoman or surveyor, the other practicing to shout “no” and hold her hands up.
Some women said they often hesitate to yell since women are often taught to be polite.
“That is part of how we are socialized as women, to be nice and kind and say, ?No, thank you,? instead of saying, ?No! Get away!? ” said Jodi Finkelstein, executive director of the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County.
The lesson continued with learning about handy weapons such as keys, a pen and credit card. The women practiced kicking, hitting and yelling at a giant blue pad, nicknamed Hank, and partnered up to practice moves on each other.
“All the things I thought I couldn?t do, I can,” said Kathy Verheul, of Columbia.
