Category: Children Publisher: CLASS Publications
ISBN-10: 0976827328
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 144
Copyright: June 1, 2006
ISBN-13: 9780976827320
Winner of the 2007 IRWIN Award by the Book Publicists of Southern Califonia for "Best Community Service Campaign" and saving children's lives.
A unique approach to self-defense that gives children the necessary safety tools they need to recognize danger before something happens, and the ability to flee if attacked by surprise. It shows parents how to work with their child using fun yet effective techniques to sharpen awareness skills in addition to the step-by-step pictures and captions for each of the 32 self-defense techniques. Children want to feel empowered. Learning simple ways to defend themselves in any threatening situation and practicing survival skills regularly will give them this confidence. This book gives them these specific survival tools so that they know how to get away before they are grabbed. Children need to be more aware and ready to take action. Children must fight back. This book will show them how.
Every day I would turn on the news or read the newspaper only to hear about another child abduction. The nightmare was that a few days later the abduction turned into death. It made me so mad. It seemed a day would not go by without a new Amber Alert or newscast that another child was abducted or abused, a new perpetrator was in the area or that a child that was recently abducted was now found dead. I could not fathom the pain and suffering that child felt or the pain and suffering the parents were going through. Can you?
My heart would just sink. Outrage does not even describe the emotion I would feel if this happened to any of the children in my own family.
I could not stand it anymore. I have been a physical education teacher for more than twenty years and could not even think that a day would come when one of my own students would be in that situation. Even more alarming was the possibility that the children in my own family would end up as victims. I began to think more and more about it. Here I was, an experienced teacher who happened to also train in martial arts. I was already teaching self-defense classes for women and realized that similar techniques could be used for children; there had to be a way to develop a program that could be taught within my own curriculum that would give all of my students the opportunity to learn safety techniques. I decided to create such a program using my own teaching techniques and modifying certain martial arts techniques that could be used by small children at any time.
As I developed this program, I would test these techniques with my students and my family. As modifications were made I found that the children could actually disable an adult long enough to escape to safety. I also met with law enforcement and got their feedback, as well as many new ideas.
As time went on, I developed additional techniques for older children as well. Many of these techniques are used for teenage safety issues. Sure, there are plenty of martial arts schools, but not everyone is financially capable of enrolling their children in these classes, some children have such busy schedules these days that they don’t have time. Additionally, these schools mainly provide physical techniques. The C.L.A.S.S. Self-Defense program and this book not only provide step-by-step physical techniques for children to practice, but also give children the opportunity to understand when they might be in danger and what to do before it needs to get physical.
This is why it was so important to teach the C.L.A.S.S. Self-Defense program myself in my own classes – time and money were no longer factors. It was my goal to make each and every one of my students able to deal with specific situations when it came to strangers or possible abduction.
When I first started developing the C.L.A.S.S. self-defense program, I never thought it would have such an impact not only on my students and their families, but also on me personally. C.L.A.S.S. is an acronym for Children Learning Awareness, Safety & Self-Defense. Yes, this is a very long title, but I really felt that this just said it all.
As I introduced this program to other teachers, school districts and parents, the same question would always come up: Can parents get a copy of this program to teach at home? Since the original C.L.A.S.S. program was primarily developed for teachers as a self-defense program to teach within their existing curriculums and in large groups, I did not believe that it was the right format for parents.
With a lot of prodding, I decided to write this book. In it, you will find real-life situations, how children will know what to do if approached, followed, grabbed or attacked by a stranger, and most importantly, how NOT to be a victim.
I am not just focusing on young children. All of the skills and techniques used in this program are effective tools for children, teenagers and women. Most importantly, once a skill is taught, it is imperative that we incorporate repetition. The more children practice these self-defense skills the more confidence they will have to use these skills. Additionally, as with anything else, repetition allows the skills to be used instinctively.
Excerpt
“It is a sad commentary that we even have to ask ourselves whether it is possible to keep our children safe." The reality is that it is each of our responsibility as parents to do whatever we can to insure the safety of our children. The fact is children are small, they are weaker than their attackers, and they are vulnerable. However, they are not defenseless if we arm them with the appropriate tools. The key to our children's safety is to give them these specific tools so that they:
1) never enter that car,
2) never grab that hand, and
3) know how to get away before they are grabbed.
The key to their survival is that ability to flee and the survival tools that they are given through the C.L.A.S.S. self defense program. The C.L.A.S.S. self defense program was created by Janet Goliger, an elementary school teacher who is also a black belt in karate and is a certificated physical education teacher. The purpose of the C.L.A.S.S. program is to provide our children with the self-confidence and the self-defense tactics that are required in order to keep themselves safe. Through the C.L.A.S.S. program, the children work through various real-life situations. The children learn to determine which self-defense response would best deal with each given situation. The children are taught how to defend themselves if they are approached by a stranger, if they are followed by a car or a van, if they are grabbed by an abductor, abused by a bully, etc., learning the techniques, they practice and become successful at doing the techniques to make sure your child is not the next victim. The C.L.A.S.S. program is a sequential developmental curriculum and age appropriate, so that the kids "get it.” Janet's biggest concern is that "while all children have the right to defend themselves in any threatening situation, most lack the ability to do so effectively."
The C.L.A.S.S. SELF-DEFENSE PROGRAM was developed as a solution to a terrible problem.
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