Self-Defense May Lead to “Other’s Defense”

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AFTER DARK: Many students commute to campus which makes the light-rail stop very busy and a mark for crime. The recent flasher crimes on campus happened near this stop along with several thefts. Photo by Ashley Hattle.

DENVER, Auraria Campus — Self-defense training brings with it a rise in confidence and reassurance that any situation can be handled. This confidence can often lead to helping others as well. Most of Auraria campus crime is theft and misdemeanors but the occasional assault crimes do happen, like the multiple incidents of male flashers.  For students who ride the light-rail, take night classes, or live near campus it might be a good idea to know the defense skills necessary to handle a potentially dangerous situation.

“The campus makes me feel uncomfortable at night,” says CU-Denver Junior Victoria Cano. “When I was at CCD I took night classes and had guys multiple times follow me both to the light-rail and to the parking lot.  I wish the campus had a class on campus that I could take.” Auraria campus currently offers a self-defense class, the CU-Denver Anschutz Medical Campus offers self-defense classes for women and for men as well.  For $20 women can learn defense and men can learn to resist aggression, the next one for women is Oct. 5 and 6, for men, Sept. 21.

BLUE LIGHT: Auraria campus has dozens of emergency call boxes sprinkled through out campus. When officials designed the layout, they made it so that wherever a student was standing they could see at least two of the blue light boxes, giving them an option of which way to retreat. Photo by Ashley Hattle.

For those students who don’t want to make the long drive or spend the money, there is Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios where every other month the owner, Robert Chavez, teaches a free self-defense class.  “My program is very geared for self-confidence, feeling safer, stronger…they end up saying, ‘Hey I can actually handle myself and I don’t have to worry,” Chavez says.  The next free class, which is first-come-first-served with a 30-person limit, will be Sept. 28.   Students need only call, 303-989-7050, to sign up.

While many think of women when self-defense comes up it’s also very common for men to join the ranks and learn how to defend and fight.  “I would [take a class] to increase my chances in winning a fight or being mugged or protecting someone else,” says CU-Denver Freshman Zach Vess. While women join to learn how to better protect themselves, many men join to learn to protect others.

Learning self-defense, or “other’s-defense,” psychologically gives a feeling of being stronger, emotionally and physically.  Knowing how to decisively act in a dangerous situation boosts self-esteem and just having these skills and training may promote people to step in if a situation is escalating and help someone else. “If someone has training and thus has skills in a certain area, it makes them more likely to help someone else,” says MSU Denver Psychology professor Dr. Chad Mortensen.  “So if you’re walking by and see a situation, someone who has defense training may actually be more likely to step in.”

Auraria campus assault crimes may be rare, but it is always better to be prepared, utilizing the classes available can make students feel safer just knowing that they have the knowledge and experience to defend themselves.  Whether it’s dusting off old martial arts skills or learning from the ground up, taking a self-defense course will not only help build confidence and security, but the training could end up helping someone else along the way.