Editor, Daily Nexus,

Last Thursday, Alon Stivi, World Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame inductee, taught a women’s self-defense workshop at Hillel. The event was sponsored by Associated Students, American Students for Israel and Santa Barbara Hillel, and was free for all UCSB women. Mr. Stivi gave a PowerPoint presentation on rationally evaluating the degree of danger in a given situation and using tactical thought in the midst of an attack or an emergency. The PowerPoint presentation was followed by hands on practice of specific fighting techniques, including how to break out of a stranglehold and how to parry an attacker who uses a blunt object as a weapon.

Mr. Stivi stressed that learning safety precautions should not make one paranoid, but rather should make one feel prepared. Women should have the knowledge and the confidence to be able to defend themselves if the need to do so arises.

One important tip to remember is to keep your back against a wall in an emergency. An attacker cannot tackle a person who is braced against a wall. Light switches are on walls, and by turning the lights off, one can confuse the attacker by plunging the room into darkness. Doors are also along the walls. By moving along the walls, one is certain of eventually reaching an exit. Standing with one’s back to the wall, one is able to see the entire scene at once, rather than constantly turning to see in all directions.

More than 50 percent of rapes are date rapes. Every woman should have self-defense because unfortunately you never know when you will need it.