Diane
Long, member of NWMAF’s Self-Defense Leadership Committee
In July, the National Women’s Martial Arts
Federation (NWMAF) held its annual Self-Defense Instructor’s Conference in
Oberlin, Ohio. Martha
Thompson, IMPACT Chicago Instructor, attended. The National Association of Social
Workers (NASW) Ohio Chapter offered CEUs for social workers who attended. The NASW Illinois Chapter offers CEUS for
social workers who take IMPACT.
Following is an excerpt of a personal narrative by
Diane Long that highlights some of the benefits of self-defense for social
work. Diane has taught sex-positive self-defense for over 20 years, locally,
nationally and internationally. Since
2003, she has worked as a French interpreter for psycho-educational groups and
mental health services at The Center for Victims of Torture in Minnesota. Her
full article appears in the NASW Ohio September-October newsletter
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For me, self-defense has always been associated with
social services. I was first exposed to self-defense in a 2-hour workshop that
was part of 40-hour advocacy training for Rape Crisis Services at a domestic
violence shelter in Illinois. This training heightened my awareness of violence.
The brief self-defense class offered as part of training gave me some practical
tools to manage the increased fear and anxiety that came up as a result. The
relationship was direct and immediate.
Women’s self-defense programs developed in the same
era as social service agencies like women’s shelters, with shared goals of
reducing violence and providing critical services. It has always been a natural
partnership. Language and practice have evolved over time, to reflect current trends
and a growing awareness of how various forms of oppression intersect. There has been a move from “victim” to “survivor”,
encouraging the use of people-first language, developing terminology to
describe interpersonal violence that is more inclusive and adapting curriculum
to be relevant for diverse groups. Many self-defense teachers offer specialized
programming geared towards youth, LGBTQ communities, people with special needs,
seniors, etc. There is also a clear need for violence prevention programming
for boys and men. Like social workers, self-defense teachers try to respond to
the needs of the communities they serve.
Social workers themselves can benefit from the tools
self-defense offers in concrete ways. At this year’s NWMAF conference, Clara
Porter, MSW, offered a class on Field and
Office Safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
ranks health care, including social work, the third most violent profession in
terms of workplace violence. Social workers need to make safety
assessments of locations and situations and develop safety plans. They need to
set and maintain clear boundaries with clients and program participants.
Assertive communication and de-escalation skills are needed to address
inappropriate or threatening behavior and also for day-to-day interactions in
the workplace. In a way that is similar to Basic First Aid, simple and
effective physical defense and containment skills increase a personal sense of
security and confidence in one’s ability to respond in a crisis. This
translates into more ease in daily life.
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