Sayaka Mimura used to be too shy to scream, let alone punch, kick or hurt a potential attacker. But since she joined the University’s Tae Kwon Do Club last term, Mimura is now armed with the self-defense techniques and tools — her elbows, knees, arms and legs — that she may need one day to protect herself.
Mimura, a coordinator with the ASUO Women’s Center, said she became interested in the sport after taking a self-defense class in Bend, and she wanted to learn how to protect herself after the recent sexual assault attacks on campus. And with the instruction of the club’s head coach Randy King, Mimura said she is vocally stronger and better able to escape from any potentially unsafe situation in which she might find herself.
“He (King) teaches not just physical confidence, but how to avoid dangerous situations,” Mimura said.
The club will host a self-defense workshop covering tools, tips and techniques for effective self-defense in real-life scenarios from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Gerlinger 220.
With a growing emphasis on personal protection among students since the six sexual assault attempts in spring 2001, an attempted rape in January, and three incidents in two weeks this term of campus public masturbation reports — this workshop is a start for interested participants to become educated.
“The workshop will be empowering for everyone who attends,” King said. “I would like people to come away from the seminar with the realization that they have the tools to defend themselves. One of the primary tools comes from self-confidence.”
Club volunteers will lead the workshop through partner exercises, which in addition to allowing the attendees to practice on skilled athletes will provide them with the opportunity to make new friends. This weekend’s seminar will focus primarily on women because King said women are the most common victims of date rape and sexual assault.
“Men are usually mugged by other men — not women,” King said, adding that men can acquire valuable skills from the workshop also.
The workshop is open to all University students, staff and faculty. Kristie Gibson, a member of the club and recent graduate of the School of Law, said many of the moves, such as knee kicks, become natural with practice.
“We’ll focus on vocalization — how to yell,” she said. “You can’t be afraid to yell.”
Since she joined the club in 1993, she said her tae kwon do skills — at the high red-belt level — have helped her to feel more empowered in the event that she would have to use physical force against someone, and the exercises aide in relieving stress too.
The club, funded through fundraisers and student fees, is composed of about 20 to 25 students, and members practice two times a week and on weekends.
King, who has a third degree black belt, said no matter what level of belt students wear or which form of martial arts they know, it is important that they “bow, shake hands and introduce themselves every time.”
But he said that this more modern expression of communication in tae kwon do differs from more traditional forms of martial arts.
King, who has been with the club since 1991, encouraged those interested in self-defense to attend the workshop, but he suggested they enroll after the workshop is over in a related class offered by the University or in the local community. He said tae kwon do may not be the right fit for the individual, but additional instruction can help participants to continue to improve the skills they will take away from the workshop.
“I want to be able to see people come in and know they can defend themselves and improve on that,” he said.
King, who volunteers as the coach for the club and is an adjunct physical education instructor, said he takes pleasure in seeing members of the club improve. He added that he tries to educate members so that they know rapes and attacks will happen if people don’t know how to fight back.
“Women are not defenseless,” King said. “There is not such thing … Women can kick my butt, I kid you not.”
King said the high-energy club has the benefits of friendships with people from diverse backgrounds as well a physical skills and conditioning.
Admission to the workshop is $5 at the door, and no experience is necessary to attend. The workshop is being presented in association with the Student Recreation Center, Club Sports and the Women’s Center. For more information, contact 338-4843.