When is the best time for a middle school girl to take a self-defense course?

Thinking back to middle school for most of us is an entertaining, if not painful, exercise. Being in that age group, some feel like they don’t belong…anywhere. The social pressures and norms are enormous, confusing, and frustrating. Some of the childhood friends we had have grown and joined different cliques. Even the idea of cliques themselves can seem foreign. Yet, we all try and manage the best we can, and as we grow and develop and mature, we can look back at that time as a necessary, if sometimes embarrassing, time in our lives.

For many middle school children, it also becomes the first time when they are confronting sexual identities, developing bodies, and higher risk social situations. Knowing this, IMPACT Chicago has created an age-appropriate self-defense program for middle school girls. Emphasizing strong verbal boundaries and developing confidence, as well as powerful and easy-to-learn techniques, we have been teaching this class for several years, with great success.

When is the best time for a girl/woman to learn self-defense, particularly against sexual predation? “Earlier is better than later, later is better than never.” Please consider this and encourage friends and family with middle school girls to consider taking this class.

Rob Babcock, IMPACT Chicago Suited Instructor

We are all mechanics

We Are All Mechanics is an organization in Madison, WI that for over ten years has been teaching women-focused classes in bicycle maintenance. They believe that women can learn the technical skills required to maintain and repair a bicycle, despite the fact that such work is traditionally the province of men. If you’re going to own and ride a bicycle, knowing how to change tires and adjust gears and grease bearings is a good idea[1].

IMPACT Chicago feels the same way about the body that you walk around with every day. For women, simply walking around in the world involves a degree of unavoidable risk; just as it’s not possible to ride a bicycle without risking the occasional flat tire. While self-defense skills are traditionally thought of as men’s skills, women can learn those skills just as they can learn to change a bicycle tire. Graduates of our Core class report that IMPACT’s state-dependent learning approach to self-defense training makes the skills something that they remember when they need them, regardless of when they took the class – Just like riding a bicycle.

Mark Nessel, IMPACT Chicago Suited Instructor


[1] Learn more about We Are All Mechanics at www.weareallmechanics.com

So you took self defense

You’ve taken a self-defense course, are a self-defense instructor or a martial artist. It is not uncommon for others to challenge you.

Joanne Factor of Strategic Living shares a story she heard from Jan Parker, a martial artist, about being challenged and using “disarming” self-defense.

. . . [A] young man heard from someone else that I was a martial artist. Boldly, he came up to me to make sure what he heard was true. “So, you’re a martial artist?” I nodded, noticing the drink in his hand. He continued, “Soooooo . . . What would you do if I just hauled off and hit you in the face?”

Jan responded:

“I would charge you with assault. What do you think I would do?” “For crying out loud,” I said, “we’re at a party, why in the world would you hit me in the face?”

Surprised, at my answer, he walked away.

Joanne says: “She assessed his intent, decided this silliness was not a situation to escalate, and gave a response he was so totally not expecting. Perfectly disarming self-defense.”

For more from Joanne Factor, check out http://www.strategicliving.org/. For more from Jan Parker, visit her blog at http://janjimjam.com/.

Donors make an IMPACT!

Tuition covers about 65% of the costs of the Core Program and IMPACT for Middle School Girls. Volunteers and donors cover the rest. It is not too late to donate. Please send a check to IMPACT Chicago, 4770 N. Lincoln Ave #6, Chicago IL 60625 or contact Tara at info@impactchicago.org if you would prefer to pay by credit card. 

Thank you to all those who financially supported IMPACT Chicago in 2013!

Jeanne Adams in honor of 5-year old Ainsley Jeanne

Susan Alberts

Janet and David Altman

Lisa Amoroso and Phil Tracy

Anonymous (5)

Anonymous (3) in honor of Molly Norris and Kelly Van Eaton

Robert Babcock

Dolores and Glenn Bjorkman

Jill Britton and Henry Borcyk in honor of Hannah Thompson

Bruce Brio

Patricia Broughton in honor of Martha Thompson

Nancy and Ira Cohen

Christina Collins

Maury Collins

Dianna Costanzo in memory of Adrian Costanzo

Tammy and James DeBoer

Cheri Erdman

Carol Ference

Tamurla J. Fletcher

Laurie Fuller

David Lieb and Anne Gendler

Therese Given

Grainger

Katherine Gumpertz

Milca Gunderson in honor of David Gunderson

Margit and John Henderson

Hewlett Packard

IBM

Naomi Love

Deb Mier and Sheila Hickey in honor of IMPACT’s amazing instructor team

HSBC

Loretta Jackson

Jim and Valerie Jenkins

Carol Jennings

Pam Jurkowski

Julia Kaminski

Melanie and Stephen Kelley in honor of Margaret Vimont's mother

June Kirk

Mary Komparda in honor of Dee Costanzo

Susan Landwer

Ruth Lipschutz in honor of Peggy Lipschutz

Susan McConnell

McDonalds

Margaret McGrath

Marianne Merola

Dorothy Meyer

Teresa Neurauter

Mark Nessel

Molly Norris

Northwestern University’s Panhellenic Association

Clara Orban

Lauren Perez

Liz Pfau

Rachel Pildis

Ben Ruiz

Theo Pintzuk in honor of Elaine Stocker

Donald and Judith Rosedale in honor of Katie Skibbe

Loriann and Roger Safian

Tess Schmieg

Katie Skibbe

Linda Stawicki in honor of Jill Britton and Henry Borcyk

Lou Sutton

Kathy Tank in honor of IMPACT grad Alissa Tank

Martha Thompson

Margaret Vimont

Mary Ann Wilkens

Nat Wilson