Aaron L. Banks

The incorporation of self-defense as a unit of study within physical education curricula has seen increased interest in recent years. Various journals have published articles containing practical strategies and suggestions for those educators who teach such units of instruction. As an educator of self-defense, I am always excited to discover new strategies and to try these suggestions within my own classes. Sometimes they work, sometimes they do not; nevertheless, I continue to refine my classes and my curriculum by attempting to remain current with the latest literature. According to Chen, the majority of self-defense classes tend to be taught based upon the “personal perspective or background of the instructor, instead of what should be taught in self-defense” (1998, p. 4). As educators with busy teaching schedules and various course preparations, one may easily fall into this trap of teaching what he or she is comfortable with or most familiar.

In an effort to aid the professional practitioner, the author has developed this resource built upon the premise that learning is a continual endeavor. Often times we must incorporate other sources of information to develop a holistic curriculum and a well-rounded learning experience for students. It is with the goal of efficiency and thoroughness in mind that the purpose of this article rests. It is the intention of the author to: (1) provide the practitioner with an overview of appropriate self-defense content, and (2) to develop a resource list regarding the incorporation of visiting professionals (a.k.a. outside speakers) to balance the curriculum and encourage students to engage with organizations and services offered within one’s community. The suggestions discussed in this article are intended for use at the college and university setting. However, elementary and secondary physical educators may modify and apply any of the suggestions, as appropriate, to the K-12 setting.

Self-Defense Curricular Development

So what should be included in a self-defense unit of instruction? According to Banks & Reed, modern self-defense curricula contain four areas of knowledge that teachers should consider when designing a well-rounded unit of instruction (2003). The four areas of knowledge that should encompass any well-designed self-defense unit of instruction are: awareness, prevention, escape, and recovery. Banks & Reed defined these areas of instruction as:

Awareness

Awareness is one of the most effective forms of self-defense that can be taught. Awareness is the sum total of information an individual has accumulated regarding the “nature, circumstances, stages, and psychodynamics of various forms of interpersonal aggression and threat” (Nelson, 1991, p. 2). In short, educational self-defense units should include information regarding who assailants are, how assaults happen, and why assailants target certain victims. By making students familiar with important cognitive information within the educational setting, the primary goal of self-defense educators is to help students not doubt intuitive messages, hesitate, or freeze in the event of an impending assault. Instilling the realization that crime can and does happen, even in the most remote of areas, should be a basic tenet of all self-defense instructional units.

Prevention

Simply stated, prevention refers to perceiving an impending assault, and taking the necessary steps to keep that assault from occurring (Leung, 1991). According to Pultro (1997), several steps may be enacted during the prevention phase, however, the two most prominent steps are avoidance and deterrence. Avoiding an assault altogether is the preferable choice for any would-be victim. Therefore, self-defense educators teach students to construct knowledge regarding avoidance strategies by helping them to critically observe one’s physical surroundings, the behavior of others, and to listen and trust in one’s own intuition. Once an assailant has begun the process of asserting his/her dominance, however, the immediate threat of the situation has been escalated.

Self-defense educators help students to utilize deterrence options to thwart an assailant from escalating his/her behavior to the realm of physical violence. Deterrence strategies taught in the gymnasium often include confident and assertive behaviors such as body posture, eye contact, facial expressions, and a commanding voice when utilizing communication skills.

Escape

Once an assault has escalated to the point of physical aggression, numerous strategies, including physical defense skills, may be employed to help an individual escape from an already progressive assault. Self-defense educators primarily focus their teaching within the gymnasium on physical escape strategies. Escape course content would include the psychomotor actions and cognitive knowledge of proper stance, balance, movements, blocks, strikes, kicks, throws, floor, and release techniques. All too often self-defense curricula is solely designed around psychomotor escape content. As educators, we must continually refine our curriculum to incorporate the four areas of knowledge proposed by Banks & Reed (2003).

Recovery

Issues relating to recovery arise both during and after an assault. Surviving an assault is a great accomplishment, however, once the assailant has left the scene the assault is not over. Pultro (1997) refers to this psychological and emotional trauma produced by confrontation as “fall out” that must be dealt with properly. Important information and services are required to help an assaulted individual regain confidence in one’s own personal safety. Self-defense educators often address recovery content by introducing students to available services for victims of various assaults.

Attempting to address all four areas of knowledge within a self-defense unit of instruction can be an overwhelming task. Although time is always a limiting factor, it is difficult to truly master all aspects of any specific content area. Due to self-defense content being far-reaching and diverse, many educators tend to neglect important areas of instruction as they are unfamiliar with content or pedagogical strategies to aid in the delivery of the content. Therefore, the author has devised a list of resources to help self-defense educators balance out areas within the curriculum that may be lost or confusing to teachers and students alike.

Visiting Professionals Preparation and Resource List

Educators working within the physical education environment use a variety of strategies to aid students in the learning process. Examples include lecturing, individual instruction, cooperative learning, and affective learning strategies. The suggestions proposed in this article, those being verbal presentations from outside speakers, are technically classified as lecture strategies. The visitation of a professional to one’s self-defense class can be extremely rewarding to both student and teacher alike. However, it must be noted that successful outside speaking engagements require meticulous planning and consideration. Adapting suggestions made by Harrison, Blakemore, & Buck (2001) regarding suggested planning procedures for outside speakers, the author suggests the following four considerations.

First, planning for the visiting professional should occur well in advance of the desired visit date. Planning would initially include the identification and contact of a potential speaker. At this time the educator should clearly define the topic and information desired for instruction, the age and background of the students that the guest speaker would be interacting with, and an overview of what information will be covered by the educator within the unit of study prior to the speakers visit.

Second, it will be necessary for the educator to prepare the students for the visiting professional. It is recommended that students develop a list of 3 to 5 questions regarding specific issues they would like the guest speaker to address. Students may be required to provide a rationale for each of the questions listed and/or current research to support the question. The list may be turned in and used as an assessment piece by the educator.

The third recommendation made by the author is that the educator document the visit of the professional either through formal or informal means. Informally the educator may use a digital camera to capture images of the guest speaker’s visit. These images may later be used in a physical education newsletter sent home to parents, posted on the physical education department’s website, or simply added to the educators personal portfolio. Formally, the educator may contact local media outlets to encourage television or print coverage of the event, invite parents to attend the visit, or invite school staff and administration.

Finally the fourth recommendation the author posits is perhaps the most crucial: thank the visiting professional for their time and effort. A simple thank you note signed by all of the students in the class will often entice the guest speaker to come again! What follows is a list of possible internal and external guest speakers that may have the potential to “fill the gaps” in any self-defense unit of instruction.

Campus/Ground Security

Most university and college campuses employ 24-hour on-duty safety and security personnel. The mission of these programs is primarily to provide the safest environment possible in which high quality education may be pursued. Uniformed officers are commonly visible on campuses within residence halls, academic buildings, grounds and facilities, and parking lots. Campus officers have the authority to enforce rules and regulations relating to all safety issues that may be handled internally. In the event that external help is necessary, campus security is typically in constant radio communication with local police departments.

Interesting presentations and discussions can be the result of a visit by a campus security officer or director. According to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, colleges and universities across the United States must disclose information about crime on and around campus (Campus Security Act, 1990). In accordance with this federal law, schools must publish an annual report every October 1st publicizing campus crime statistics. Campus crime statistics have the potential to alert students to campus or community dangers that might otherwise go unknown.

Services provided by campus security and the enforcement of college policies are other interesting topics of discussion. Services of interest that may be discussed include campus escort possibilities, lost and found, security lockers, security support for sponsored campus events, room lockout services, and campus emergency phones. Institutional policies pertaining to student life, such as parking and alcohol rules and regulations, tend to lead to lively discussions.

Campus Organizations and Services

Generally speaking, a primary goal of most educational institutions revolves around the academic development of its students. Nevertheless, a wide variety of student, staff, and/or faculty-run organizations and services not only focus on the development of intellectual abilities, but social, spiritual, cultural, and physical domains as well. These organizations and services support, educate, and promote issues of concern by encouraging involvement and action upon the student behalf. Self-defense educators may contact these organizations and service providers to help balance the curriculum. The following organizations provide educators with unique opportunities to address issues not only related to one’s personal safety, but to encourage students to involve themselves in issues related to social inequality as experienced by different groups.

Diversity Centers

A diversity center is typically focused upon supporting students, staff, and faculty of various racial, ethnic, and cultural populations, all the while designing and implementing activities that infuse an acceptance and appreciation for difference that is morally and socially just within campus life. Presentations by students of difference races, ethnicities, and cultures provide unique perspectives into challenges faced on a daily basis. When incorporating issues of diversity into the self-defense curriculum, the author recommends a panel-based discussion with representatives of various races, ethnicities, and cultures. Presentations made by student panels often evoke informative discussions without targeting one specific racial or ethnic group.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans-gendered Organizations

The process of defining one’s sexual identity can be very challenging, yet that difficulty is magnified when an individual decides to share his/her sexual orientation, or “come out.” It is very important that campus organizations be made available for students with alternative lifestyles in order to provide support, information, and a safe place to grow and learn. Such organizations provide interesting programming throughout the academic year. Presentations on “coming out,” hate crimes, and other inequalities dealt with by individuals possessing alternative lifestyles have the potential to generate rich dialogue within the gymnasium.

Women’s and Men’s Studies Centers

Women’s centers and programs of study are quite common upon college campuses. Individuals involved with these organizations may provide a wonderful resource to discuss a wide variety of issues. Issues of typical conversation include pornography, reproductive rights, feminist politics, sexuality, and justice for victims. Men’s studies centers and programs are limited in nature, yet problems and concerns may be addressed within the self-defense curriculum. Helping men and women to understand masculinity provides a unique addition to the self-defense curriculum, as most assailants are male. For violence to end against women, it has been stated that men must perceive violence as a man’s problem, and one that is a direct result from the way that men regard women in American culture (Leung, 1991). Encouraging men to consider the social environment in which women live in America as much more menacing than that of a man’s environment is often the first step in encouraging justice between the genders.

Counseling Centers and Health Services

Maintaining the emotional and physical well-being of students is fundamental to intellectual development and social maturity. Counseling centers and health services work to provide confidential resolution for students experiencing personal, relationship, social, or academic difficulties. As the demands of life burden students and resolution is not found on one’s own, interaction with a professional counselor can be quite helpful. Licensed mental health and medical professionals have the potential to bring unique perspectives into the self-defense classroom. Through relatable stories and examples, these individuals have the ability to capture student interest all the while promoting the importance of emotional self-defense.

Instructors of Defensive Art Forms

Within most American cities and towns there can be found at least one form of self-defense that is being taught by a professional instructor and/or organization. Defensive art forms include karate, judo, taekwondo, aikido, ju jitsu, and basic self-defense amongst many others. Individuals teaching these classes are often willing to guest speak within educational settings about their specific art form as a promotional opportunity for their program.

Local Police Departments

The mission of most police departments is to serve the community, preserve the quality of life amongst citizens, and to enforce the law by working collaboratively with and amongst community members. Local police department personnel provide self-defense educators with a vast array of interesting possibilities to bolster course content. Police departments typically assign individuals to fulfill specific roles, such as police chief, patrol officers, investigating officers, and communications and community service personnel. The following personnel have the potential to address a wide variety of issues related to personal safety and preservation.

Police chiefs often expose students to an interesting perspective that is not typically associated with police work. A chief has the potential to illustrate the pressures of the job that officers typically face, as he or she has often served in that capacity for a number of years. In addition, the chief may discuss the administrative balancing act of public perception and relations with police officers and efforts. Patrol officers are charged with responsibilities commonly associated with “walking the beat”. Patrol officers maintain order, enforce ordinances, and protect life and property. Investigative officers respond to all major crime scenes. Major crimes would be considered criminal sexual conduct, child protection, assault and/or battery, disorderly conduct, and drug possession and distribution. Canine officers support patrol and investigative officers with an animal partner. Animal partners, primarily dogs, have the ability to track lost or fleeing suspects, find hiding suspects, locate evidence, protect the handler, and to search for drugs.

Communication and community service personnel add yet another interesting layer of possibilities for guest presentations. Individuals working within communication endeavors respond to emergency calls and hotlines, issue weather and security alert advisories, dispatch fire department calls, and monitor burglar and fire alarms while communicating with patrol, investigative and canine officers. Currently police departments are employing specific professionals to combat against internet-related crime, such as online pedophilia, stalking, and identity theft. Community service personnel provide programming related to community life. Animal control and shelter, public education, and youth programming all lie within this domain. Public education and youth programming efforts typically consist of bicycle education, gun safety, and motorized vehicle (moped) instruction.

Domestic Violence Shelters and Programs

The Silent Witness National Initiative is a program dedicated to raising public awareness and eliminating the consequences of domestic violence within America. A prevalent crime that happens to individuals of all ages, races, ethnicities, and religions, domestic violence refers to one person gaining power and continually asserting dominance and control over another person within an intimate relationship. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, over 50 % of American women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship within their lifetime (2005). High profile murder cases, such as that of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Connor, continue to keep issues related to domestic violence within national headlines. Unfortunately, however, the majority of these crimes, and their victims, continue to go unnoticed. According to DeBecker, “right now, while you are reading these words, at least one woman in America is being beaten by her husband – and now another, for it happens once every few seconds” (1997, p. 213).

In 1990 a group of Minnesota women artists and writers, concerned about the escalating domestic violence rates within their state, banded together to speak out against the senseless acts that had resulted in the deaths of 26 women in that year alone. As a result, these women used their trade to create 26 free-standing, life-sized red wooden figures which they called “silent witnesses.” Each figure possessed the name of one woman whose life was ended at the hands of an intimate partner or acquaintance. In February 1991, the 26 figures were placed on display at a church conveniently located across the street from the Minnesota State Capitol. A 27th figure was added to represent the deaths of women whose murders went unresolved or were ruled accidental. Since the inception of the Silent Witness National Initiative, all 50 states have developed and debuted exhibits. This nationwide effort has raised awareness and social consciousness regarding the senseless loss of those who once lived, worked, had neighbors, friends, family, and children.

Self-defense educators have an opportunity to raise awareness of domestic violence issues on college campuses by incorporating the Silent Witness project. According to the Silent Witness National Initiative program, any concerned instructor may bring the Silent Witnesses to campus. Instructors may make their own figures, order pre-made figures, or borrow those that already exist from an exhibition within one’s state or city. It is often recommended that educators band together with other organizations concerned with similar topics, such as women’s studies programs, diversity centers, and student life endeavors, to develop holistic collaboration. More information may be found by visiting the Silent Witness National Initiative website at www.silentwitness.net.

References

Banks, A.L., & Reed, J.A. (2003). Applying mass media to self-defense instruction in physical education. The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 72 (2), 41-45, 52.

Campus Security Act (1990). Jeanne Clery disclosure of campus security policy and campus crime statistics act. Retrieved March 13, 2005, from http://www.securityoncampus.org/crimestats/cleryact.html.

Chen, G. (1998). A new concept of self-defense. Dubuque, IA.: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

DeBecker, G. (1997). The gift of fear. New York, NY.: Dell Publishing.

Harrison, J.M., Blackmore, C.L., & Buck, M.M. (2001). Instructional strategies for secondary school physical education (5th ed.). Boston, MA.: McGraw Hill.

Leung, D. (1991). Self-defense: The womanly art of self-care, intuition, and choice. Tacoma, WA.: R & M Press.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2005). General information packet. Retrieved March 15, 2005, from http://www.ncdav.org.

Nelson, J.M. (1991). Self-defense: Steps to success. Champaign, IL.: Human Kinetics

Pultro, F.J. (1997). Easy steps to self-defense. New York, NY.: McGraw-Hill.

Aaron Banks, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Physical Education Pedagogy
Department of Health & Exercise Science
Gustavus Adolphus College
St. Peter, Minnesota

I have taught within the Physical Education Teacher Education program at Gustavus Adolphus College for the past 8 years. My specialty areas are Elementary Physical Education, Physical Education History & Philosophy, and lifetime activities such as Fitness Walking and Self Defense. My primary research interests lie in the teaching of self-defense and pedagogical strategies within the physical education curriculum. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and playing guitar.

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