Ouachita will host a women’s self-defense class in the lower courts of SPEC from 8-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson and local deputies will provide general personal safety tips and educate women on specific self-defense moves for a variety of scenarios. The class is free and open to female Ouachita students, faculty or staff.
“This class was originally something I started at the suggestion of a women’s support group that we had here for girls who had been previously sexually victimized in some way,” said Dan Jarboe, Ouachita’s university counselor. “I contacted the sheriff and he said, ‘We’ve provided this training elsewhere, so we’d be glad to come.’”
At the beginning of the one-hour session, after providing a few tips on personal safety, the officers will discuss how to properly respond when being attacked. Then critical target areas will be identified, where they can strike blows to their assailants, giving them the opportunity to escape.
The third part of the class focuses on specific self-defense moves that the women are able to practice on the officers.
“In the past, deputies have worn padding, and the girls are actually encouraged to practice defense moves with their full force on the officers to see how effective they are,” Jarboe said. “We’ve been so satisfied with the sheriff’s office. We haven’t thought about having anyone else teach the class because they do such a great job.”
While watching instructional videos on self-defense can be beneficial, the opportunity to actually practice physically engaging in specific maneuvers can make a huge difference when learning to defend oneself in an emergency.
“The sheriff helps the girls recognize how little actual force it takes to incapacitate a person if you know what you’re doing,” Jarboe said. “You don’t have to be a Ju Jitsu master or an athlete who works with weights constantly to be effective using these moves.”
Ouachita has only hosted this class two or three times in recent years. However, after each session, the women who participated have left with a new perspective and a set of protective measures they can use for years to come.
“Our goal with this class is to give young women such a sense of confidence when they’re out on the town, with friends or alone, that if something were to happen, they know they’ll have a plan,” Jarboe said.
For more information about Ouachita’s upcoming self-defense class, contact Dan Jarboe at (870) 245-5591 or jarboed@obu.edu.
By: Evan Wheatley, Features Editor
