Barbara Lawlor
NEDERLAND

    Fear is a response.
    Being afraid is the emotional trigger that warns you of danger. A near accident can bring on a huge adrenaline rush that drains you later.
    Fear is the gorilla in the room, said Defense Awareness Response Training instructor Paul Dusenbery, at a self-defense class last Saturday morning.
    About two dozen women of all ages participated in the hands-on class and eagerly absorbed the information on how to protect themselves. They discovered that much is intuitive, and much has to be practiced to make it become an automatic response to danger.
    Dusenbery said our bodies are designed for fight or flight and one of the first steps to being safe is to be aware of your environment.
    “You can’t go through life clueless,” he warned the women. “You should have situational awareness. In case of threat you should assess what you’re going to do and take action. The threat won’t go away. You have to believe in yourself and protect yourself.”
    Dusenbery said that if a person feels she is in danger, she probably is and is within the law to protect herself.
    Local Attorney Mark Cohen who is on the DART Board of Directors along with Boulder County Sheriff’s Deputy John  Seifert, added that the Make My Day law applies to self-defense that occurs within one’s home. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t defend yourself.”
    There are weapons available for self-protection, including mace and sound objects such as whistles. But the greatest weapon of all is the human voice. Dusenbery says that your voice can channel the power within you to deal with the situation. But you shouldn’t just scream, you should yell as loud as you can, “Back off!” Give a sharp, stunning blast. The women practiced yelling, getting louder and stronger with each try.
    He says this simple reaction will warn others away like a fireworks explosion. But you have to have the courage within to yell, even though it seems embarrassing.
    Finding the weak link is also a great tool for defense, and the thumb is the weakest link when someone grabs with their fist.
    Dusenbery showed the women how to pull up against the attackers thumb, breaking through their hold on your arm. This move takes quick action, not brute force. The participants tried the move out with each other and were amazed at how well it worked.
    “Nobody should be able to grab your wrist and you not escape. You have to believe this,” said Dusenbery.
    He also introduced the finger in throat, gag leverage move. He reminded the women that they should never care what others think when they are trying to survive; that they should do what they have to get away from an assailant.
    Be aware of available weapons, advises Dusenbery. Look around, find a chair, a place to hide, stay out of corners, use a slippery floor, a brick edge or break a mirror.
    An attacker can read fear in your body language. Try to exude confidence and calmness. Always be wary of people saying they are looking for a lost dog, or someone with a cast asking for help. “You want to help this person, but you could die,” says Dusenbery. “You wants to believe in the goodness of human nature, but then you become a target..”
    One of the younger girls told Dusenbery that a man tried to give her and her friend money once, but she grabbed her friend and pulled her away. She was told to always tell her parents when she suspects something isn’t right.
    Don’t allow strange people into your hot zone,” said Dusenbery. “Put a proactive bubble around you and if someone enters it, kick the door open, using a karate kick that comes from the life force within.”
    Dusenbery says he has been giving classes for 30 years and loves the martial arts philosophy of belief in self. He says he loves to see the lights go on when women feel they have the power they need to protect themselves.
    When Dusenbery isn’t teaching self-defense, he is the executive director of the Space Science Institute. The classes are offered four times a year. For information contact Michele Dusenbery at 303-530-9447.
    Mark Cohen teaches karate classes on Tuesday and Thursday in Superior and would like to start classes up here. Anyone interested can contact him at 303-546-7937.