Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: News

Chief of University Police Adam Due demonstrates a possible attack situation on Neeka Naden, a freshman pre-veterinary medicine major, during a self-defense class Wednesday at the Student Recreation Center. (Karolina Strack/The Daily Eastern News)

Many women who walk around campus may not expect to get attacked. But if it did happen, would they be prepared?

As part of campus safety week, University Police Chief Adam Due organized a self-defense workshop to help women learn how to defend themselves.

Twelve female students attended the workshop that Due, along with his son, Josh Due, taught on Wednesday night in the dance studio in the Student Recreation Center.

When a possible attacker approaches, Due demonstrated how to be in cautious contact with the person. Being in a cautious contact means being careful of one's surroundings. He said to always have the hands and arms close to the waist to protect the stomach and chest area.

When punching the attacker, Due showed how to have one arm blocking the face and the other arm lying on the side of the hip ready to punch.

When throwing a punch, follow the swing with the hips, Due said. He said putting the hips into the hit gives off greater energy and a stronger strike.

Another mechanism Due illustrated is to position one's self in a defensive stance. Never stand in front of the attacker straight on, he said. Instead, Due said to stand at an angle, but always look forward. This will help block blows to the chest, stomach or groin.

He said the point of the presentations was to offer the techniques to fight back.

"We don't tell you to fight back, but how to fight back," Due said.

The main purpose of these workshops is to help women know how to disrupt possible perpetrators, disable them and run away as fast as they can.

Cara Durkin, a freshman English major, attended the class because her sorority president asked members to go.

She said she was glad she attended the session and recommends future workshops to all women on campus.

"It can only help you because you never know what situation you may be in," Durkin said.

Student Body President Levi Bulgar, who helped organize this week's events, said self-defense workshops are also available every Wednesday and women are encouraged to come and learn defense mechanisms.

"The things that they could teach you there can be the difference between you making it home safely," Bulgar said.

He said the most effective technique is hitting a man in his groin.

"Personally, if I get hit in the groin, I'm going down, no questions asked," he said.

Kelly Kroll, a junior athletic training major, said she has attended a few workshops and finds the techniques helpful.

"I haven't used any of them, but I think if I were in a situation, I could definitely use the stuff that I have learned from that class," Kroll said.

Kroll said this self-defense class lacks advertising, and unless students bother to check the Rec Center's class schedule, no one would know about these kinds of presentations.


Marine Glisovic can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENnewsdesk@gmail.com.

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