“We know that our campus, like all campuses, has a big problem with sexual assault,” self-defense instructor at the University of Oregon Student Recreation Center Jocelyn Hollander said.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the university recently released a statement saying this is a time to reflect on the concerns surrounding all forms of sexual assault on campus.
Throughout the month, Ducks will be holding workshops to raise awareness, support survivors and prevent sexual assault.
On April 14, an empowerment-based self-defense workshop was held at the rec center. Hollander led the workshop.
At the beginning of the event, she said, “Women have the ability and the right to defend themselves, and there’s a lot of strategies women can learn,” which was the goal of the workshop.
The fist half of the workshop was designated to verbal self-defense and the second half to physical.
“Non-physical self-defense is being aware of your surroundings, running away, body language and how you carry yourself,” Hollander said.
Hollander and Ryan Kelly, another self-defense instructor, both came up with a toolbox of strategies in order to defend yourself in a dangerous situation.
UO student Roslyn Braun said, “Having multiple tactics for preventing unwanted interaction is better than having only one.”
Generally, assailants are looking to dominate, so it’s important to make yourself look less like a target.
“We’re not saying a woman should have to do these things, but it’s a way to control how people perceive you,” Hollander said.
Having good eye contact, standing with confidence and saying no, Hollander said are good “tools” to have.
“I think of ‘no’ as a complete sentence,” she said. “It doesn’t require an explanation.”
A good tool to use can be what they call the “broken record technique.” This is where a person can pick a phrase and say it over and over again to the assailant wanting to indulge in sexual advances.
When it comes to physical self-defense, there are three primary targets towards an assailant. Hollander said these are the knees, eyes and throat.
“The goal is to put our strong points against someone’s vulnerable points,” she said.
Different techniques a person can use are a snap kick, groan manipulation, ear clap or eye gauge.
“When you’re being attacked just think of all the things still in play,” she said.
On April 16, Kelly will hold a similar self-defense workshop in Mat Room 47 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. The event will be structured similarly, but Hollander said Kelly teaches self-defense differently than her.
“Before this I thought self-defense was just about physical ways of protecting yourself, but because college rape culture is more often with your acquaintances. Learning verbal techniques was helpful,” junior Maude Molesworth said.
Currently, the university offers several self-defense courses students can enroll in. Each term there have been three sessions because of the growing need for this class.
“Right now this class is specifically aimed towards self-identified women, and we hope in the future we can help people of all genders,” Hollander said.