Girl Power

How I Became a Million Dollar (Middle Aged) Baby In my worst nightmare I am attacked. Viciously, I fight back, fending off my assailant. I’m scratching, kicking and punching my way to freedom. My attacker is stunned by the power and innate skill my five-foot, one-inch body exudes. Have you had these thoughts, these what-ifs, in a dream or even in a conscience plan of action? I would like to believe that in a life-threatening attack I would transform into a maniac. Not the maniac mom my kids describe me to be when some covenant rule is broken or undesirable behavior rears its ugly head. I mean a certified lunatic, displaying verbal and physical behaviors reserved only for the institutionally insane. My plan is to become more sociopathic than my attacker. No one is taking me down, not without a fight. But that is most likely just the scenario in my dream. The power I give myself in order to keep walking out the door everyday. Truth be told, I’m not sure what I would do if attacked. I have never been in any type of physical altercation. Never even had to defend myself against a brother attempting to strong arm me for a toy or the front seat of the family car. My sister and I may have pushed or shoved, but we were an equal match for each another. Could I run as fast as I think I would? Do I possess those primal screams needed in such scary situations? Would I actually fight back or merely attempt to shield and protect myself from the assaulting blows? I think about my inability to play softball. My instinct was to protect my face and body from that hard ball speeding toward me. Would I react the same way if I were being struck or beaten, by merely shielding myself? Recently I took a self-defense course, designed for women. The instructor, Bruce Feakins, trains at the Dojo, Shintaisei in Augusta, which offers classes in a variety of martial arts. Feakins is a second degree black belt and has been training for 11 years in several martial arts styles. “Be aware of your surroundings; trust your gut instinct - it could save your life; and above all, remain calm,” says Feakins. “If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.” Feakins explains that the first step to safety is not looking vulnerable. This simple act will make you less of a target. I was impressed with Feakins and the other men who assisted him in the class of women and young adolescent girls. I was impressed not only by his physical abilities and knowledge of self defense, but also by his mannerisms. He was very calm, and seemed to have a calming affect on the class. He made us believe we had the potential to protect ourselves and gave us a sense of power that I don’t think we truly believed we had in us. That confidence got us off our chairs ready to kick and punch our way to safety. The first thing I learned about myself is that I punch and kick like, well, like a girl. All wrong - arms flailing, legs all over. And sadly, that’s exactly how I defend myself in my dream. In my defense, however, I am pretty sure that men are not born with the gene that ensures a straight arm, tight-fisted blow to an opponent’s face. The second thing that dawned on me is that I had never punched anything before. I guess, in the scheme of things, I’ve been lucky, but definitely not prepared to physically protect myself. I realized this the instant I threw that first punch, correctly. It’s a feeling you wouldn’t forget, and I have to admit it felt good. I felt powerful. A good punch, I learned, is done similar to those ‘Rock ‘em-Sock ‘em Robot’ toys. Keep your arm close to your body, shoot from the hip with quick jabs aimed, if possible, at the solar plexus. Punching and kicking are amazing weapons when done correctly, as Feakins taught us. Otherwise they’re pretty useless actions. “The power of the leg is in the heel,” says Feakins. Again, quick, straight snapping kicks. “You want to attack the part of the male body that is not protected by skeletal structure or muscle, such as the groin and the neck.” The other thing I learned, as much as I hate to admit it, is that the opposite sex is really freakin’ strong. And I mean that literally. It’s freaky just how much more physical strength men have. As Feakins and his instructors merely braced themselves for one of my kicks, punches, holds or grabs, as they’re called, it was evident just how strong men are. It’s no surprise women often don’t stand a chance. According to Feakins, women can defend themselves, but we must use all of our body weight, not just the weight of an arm to release the grip of an attacker. “Your strength will come from your core, your stomach, giving your punch and your kick the power it needs,” says Feakins. The power you imagine yourself having is actually possible, if you use your body correctly. According to Feakins, if we use our bodies the way they are designed to perform, we have less chance of injury and generate more power. Training in a martial art is not simply about how to punch and kick; it is far more internal. With body mechanics in mind, many of the moves we learned showed us how to strike an attacker in ways that will cause his body to move against the grain, causing injury to him. Such injuries allow the victim a window of opportunity to get away. For instance, knees bend forward, not sideways. A swift kick to the side of the knee could knock an attacker off his feet. I am proud to say that I brought my attacker, Feakins, to his knees when I bent and twisted his fingers and wrist, against his body’s natural mechanics. One move, coupled with calm, yet quick, thinking may be all it takes to escape. Those were the moves that impressed me the most. They made sense, and I was able to do them. These moves could one day actually save my life. More impressive, I gained real confidence in my own power, which, before these classes, only existed in my dream. Bruce Feakins can be reached at 908-852-1382 for information about his class.