Self-defense class makes impact

Staff Sgt. Lisa Allred knows the problem won’t be fixed overnight, but she’s doing her part to help.

Sergeant Allred, CC-Air HQ security forces, recently coached eight women in self defense tactics in recognition of women’s history month.

“I do believe these classes are important because violence against women is growing on a daily basis,” she said. “Women need to know how to at least defend themselves and ways to try and get out of these situations. Unless women start defending themselves, this will continue to happen.”

Sergeant Allred knows from experience and is committed to having more women feel confident they can handle such situations.

“I have been in a situation very similar to what I taught and I know that the training I have received helped me from getting more hurt in the long run,” she said. “I want to be able to share that experience with other women so they can see that these methods can and do work.”

Statistics from the Department of Justice show more than 2.5 million women experience violence annually and nearly two in three female victims of violence are related to or know their attacker.

Maj. Kim Black, who attended the course, said she found some of the statistics and facts Sergeant Allred discussed surprising.

“(The information was) confirmed by the experiences told by some of the ladies in our own audience,” she said. “It was a very important class that shows no one is immune; an attack can happen anytime, anywhere to anyone.”

The class taught techniques to help women get out of bad situations. The defense tactics were geared more toward strike points as opposed to actual martial-art type moves, said Sergeant Allred. The class also covered weapons, and how women often carry items that they can use as weapons.

“We … felt more confident afterward, since we are now more prepared to handle an attack,” said Major Black.

Sergeant Allred will teach self defense classes upon request. For more information, e-mail lisa.allred@ramstein.af.mil.