Fighting off fear

A Milwaukie martial arts studio offers self defense classes specially tailored toward women

By Ellen Spitaleri

The Clackamas Review, Apr 28, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

eric yocom / Clackamas Review

Renee Jenkins, a Krav Maga instructor, demonstrates a hammer-fist punch on Micah Nowack, a Krav Maga student, at a recent women’s self-defense class.

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It sounded like such a good idea, a month ago. Take a women’s self defense class using a martial art technique called Krav Maga, developed by the Israeli Army, and write a story about it.

The $40 fee was donated to the Clackamas Women’s Shelter, in honor of April being Sexual Assault Awareness month.

I admit I even bragged about it.

But as April 18 approached, I became more and more apprehensive. I could not figure out what scared me more — hitting someone or being hit. The words “fighting off an attacker wearing a padded assailant suit” filled me with fear.

But I am here to say that I took the workshop and survived.

There were 40 of us who attended the Krav Maga women-only self-defense class, in the Krav Maga facility located on SE International Way. I was maybe not the oldest, but I was up there, and the others ranged in age from teenagers to women in their 50s.

Nikki Reed, a Gladstone resident, told me she was “excited and ready to kick some butt,” while Milwaukie resident Susan Allan described herself as “medium nervous.”

Soon Renee Jenkins, our instructor, lined us up and told us “anyone can defend themselves,” and asked for volunteers to tell why we were in the class.

Answers ranged, but “kick some butt” was high on the list, right up there with feeling safer and gaining confidence.

“You women are all amazing and incredible, and your lives should not be limited — how terrible to be fearful,” Jenkins said.

She asked why we should fight back if we are attacked, and the main answer was to avoid being a victim; she then said she was going to demonstrate how we could put up a show of resistance using our bodies and our voices.

Jenkins asked us to walk, looking confident. She wanted us to walk like we were saying, “Come on, bring it.”

By the way, Jenkins is all of 5 feet 2 inches tall and can she ever strut her stuff. No one in his right mind would mess with her.

“You don’t want to look meek or timid — you don’t want to look quiet and cooperative,” she said.

So after 25 jumping jacks and as many pushups, we were warmed up and ready to roll.

Fighting stance

Jenkins introduced six men — large men — saying, “They are all martial arts students — they are here for you guys to hit.” The men armed themselves with padded cushions, and eyed us warily.

First Jenkins taught us the fighting stance — feet firmly on the floor, shoulder width apart. We learned to punch with a “hammer fist,” and then back away with eye contact, our hands protecting our faces.

“The primary targets are eyes, throat, groin, knees,” Jenkins said.

We were put in lines, and told to cheer for our fellow fighters — we high fived each other.

“Attack!” Jenkins ordered.

And we did, punching those padded cushions for all we were worth while shouting “NO” at the top of our lungs.

Next, Jenkins told us, “If the attacker is behind you, use your elbows to swing back side to side. Look once behind you to make sure you know where the attacker is.”

I have very sharp elbows; I discovered I could do some serious damage. This was getting to be fun.