Saturday, November 2, 2013

Week 10 - Self-Defense is Too Violent?

A friend's husband is a police officer and a martial arts instructor in Veazie.  He offered a free, anti-bullying class for kids - all you had to do was sign up.  I've been looking into getting my 'tween' daughter some type of self-defnse training, so I signed her up, albeit against her will. (She doesn't like 'new' things and she's kind of lazy.  Okay, a lot lazy.)

She loved the class, and didn't want to leave after 2 1/2 hours.

He teaches Krav-Maga, a self-defense system developed for the Israeli military. It consists of a wide combination of techniques culled from boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, wrestling, grappling and others. It focuses on realistic fight training - incidents you would see in the real-world, when you are in serious bodily danger.  Just the sort of training every parent wishes for their child.

We spoke briefly after class about his desire to expand, and I mentioned he should align with the University Recreation Center and offer classes there.  He said he had tried - but the administration, in all their nobility, felt it was "too violent" to offer to college students.

Um, what?

Tai Kwon Do on Tuesdays and Thursdays is fine.  Combat Boot Camp class on Sunday morning - great.  But actual, real-world defensive maneuvers that might reduce the number of rapes and assaults on a college campus?  Noooo sir, we don't want that overt violence around here.

Unless you keep your child in a padded cell for eternity, at some point they will come into contact with an unsavory character.  Shouldn't they know how to appropriately deal with them?  UMaine says no.  Classes at the Rec Center should be light, fun and help you keep that six-pack or bikini body (it will be Spring soon enough!) No one wants to have a serious discussion about 'bodily protection' or 'rape prevention' or other scary topics, let alone offer a class that puts it front and center, and perhaps empowers students.

Nationally, 17% of college students report having experienced violence withing the previous year. That's only reported cases. While it may not seem like a high number, 17% of students at the University of Maine equates to slightly over 1,700 students. Seventeen hundred students. Surely a class once or twice a week that might reduce those numbers might be deemed valuable?

UMaine is like the Kennedy family - they don't air their dirty laundry until it becomes public fodder.  They project a regal image of light and airy - great education, fun place to live. None of the dark discourse - parents wouldn't want to pay $27,000 a year to send their children somewhere where there might be <gasp> violence!

Until there is a publicized incidence of domestic violence, rape or other vicious attack that makes it newsworthy - administration will play ostrich.  Then, when reporters are calling and focus must be redirected, will they define a strategic plan to implement a ten year plan to address the issues - one that will include a weekly self-defense offering at the Rec Center.

2 comments:

  1. " Then, when reporters are calling and focus must be redirected, will they define a strategic plan to implement a ten year plan to address the issues"

    Are you being funny here? Because "implementing strategic ten-year plans," whatever the hell that means, is exactly what ed. administrators love to do. God forbid they do anything that might mean something to the ordinary bozo walking down the street.

    No, for pure humor to end this piece, if that's what you want (I'm not sure it is), it should be modified to read: "Then, when reporters are calling and focus must be redirected, will they define a strategic plan to implement a ten year plan to address the issues - one that will include a weekly self-defense film offering at the Rec Center."

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  2. Film (nonviolent) in contrast to hands-on training (violent! tsk-tsk....)

    Effective piece, close to home topic, nice mix of sarcasm and passion--good qualities in an opinion piece. Nothing to offer you here except that new ending and my offering only consists of one word to solidify the sarcasm--if that's what you intend.

    If that isn't what you intend, if you want a 'straight' ending, then we'll have to argue that out!

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