Learning is key to surviving a scary situation
For many women, selfdefense training can mean the difference between a successful attack and a failed attempt.
There are various training courses available locally, such as Automatic Reflex Combative Systems Self Defense. Jeremy Haas, of ARCSSD, offered tips.
Haas is a combat veteran with almost 10 years of active duty experience and a current career in law enforcement officer training. Involved in martial arts since 1984, Haas has an exceptional interest in the human body’s natural reaction when threatened, and has spent over a decade studying its impact in attack situations.
Haas said the “startle-flinch reflex” is an involuntary physical and mental reaction to threat that impairs fine motor skills and response time. This impulse cannot be “unlearned,” but can be harnessed to help instead of hinder. Through his research, Haas discovered a disturbing lack of helpful self-defense courses.
“Most places teach what I call ‘cookie cutter self-defense’ – a trained response to a specific attack pattern,” Haas said. “However people are rarely, if ever, attacked on the street like they are in practice.”
Haas said while many instructors have experience and accolades in sport martial arts, many have never engaged in an actual, unmoderated attack. “This means they are often teaching ‘should work’ theory, as opposed to my first hand experience driven ‘will work’ tactics.”
In response to the need for a better training system, Haas developed courses designed to encourage participants to use the natural “startleflinch reflex” to their advantage; taking that moment to allow the brain to catch up to the action, start to process the attack and then make the leap to basic combative moves. He also coaches students in making the switch to a survival mindset.
“I enforce that if you must fight, you must flip the switch and get mean – you can’t afford to allow an attacker even one second to recover and renew an attack,” Haas said. “You fight back at 100 percent until you are certain you can disengage and escape to safety.”
Haas said self-defense depends on mental preparedness just as much, if not more than physical training – “If your mind isn’t ready to do what it takes to survive, then all of the techniques and practice in the world mean nothing.”
Proof of his passion to educate and protect, Haas provides free selfdefense classes each quarter specifically targeted to women; each seminar focuses on a specific subject like basic self-defense, home invasion defense, car-jacking defense, parking lot safety, basic street defense and more. Open to women 16-years-old and older, these seminars address situational awareness, de-escalation techniques and simply, easy to learn escape tactics.
He also holds weekly training classes 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students who want indepth training in defense and safety techniques.
Haas encourages women especially to take every opportunity to train for possible harassment.
“This type of training is important for everyone, but many times women are the victims simply because the predator sees a woman as a smaller target – easy to overpower,” Haas said. “With the right training and the proper mindset, that confidence can prove misplaced and result in a failed attack.”
The next free seminar will focus on home invasion safety, and will be held later this summer.
For more information on the classes and seminars offered at ARCS Self Defense, contact Haas at 200-0890 or visit www.ARCSSelfDefense.com.
–Kayleigh Plette
Three tips to remember:
Walk Through Hypothetical Situations
Mentally prepare for every imaginable scenario – instead of being completely surprised and unprepared, you will have a general direction and fight plan. This helps avoid freezing up and losing your head.
Put Down Your Phone A prime target is an unaware target – if you head is buried in your phone, your surroundings and possible dangers go unnoticed, and being caught off guard is inevitable.
Give Up Your Goods Material possessions can be replaced – your life cannot. Immediately surrender purse, phone, car, etc., but never allow yourself to be removed from the scene of attack.
