COC Valencia Hosts Self Defense Class For Women

Posted by: Jessica Boyer in Santa Clarita News April 29, 2013 - 12:03 pm 1 Comment 649 Views

Looking to prepare women in case they are attacked, Tammy Castor, head of Campus Safety at College of the Canyons hosts a free Women’s Self Defense course every fall and spring on the COC campus.

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Castor describes the course stating, “This class helps women to feel empowered about themselves. It’s for all women, not just COC students. It gives women choices when defending themselves and helps them think about safety without being paranoid.”

This course consists of three classes that empower women to be independent, comfortable in their environment and to also be able to defend themselves if they are being assaulted.

The fall class met Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m.

The first class took place in a classroom where Castor talks about situations from the past and how to make yourself less of a target.

In the second class, Castor invited local law enforcement officers to the campus gym, where they teach the women specific ways to defend themselves if they are being assaulted.

The final class tested the women’s skills when they are individually set up in a simulation against a male officer who is imitating an assaulter; both in padded gear. The women fight off the assaulter until they have the chance to run away.

Castor and her colleagues at College of the Canyons Campus Safety encourage women to participate in this course so that they are more prepared if they are ever assaulted.

Scholarships are also available from women who have been assaulted through the Girlfriend’s Club, which is funded 100 percent from donations and merchandise purchases.

For more information about Women’s Self Defense classes or Campus Safety Information provided by College of the Canyons, visit online.

For more information on the Girlfriend’s Club and the Girlfriend’s Scholarship, visit the school’s website.