Winter Park/Maitland teach free self-defense

To learn more about the free SAFE classes in Winter Park and to keep up-to-date on when the next sessions will be offered, visit the Winter Park Police Department’s website, wppd.org. For more information on when Maitland will hold it’s next monthly class, visit itsmymaitland.com

For tips on how not to become a victim of a crime, and what to do if you are, visit the Victim Service Center of Central Florida’s website at victimservicecenter.com. VSC also offers a 24-hour sexual assault hotline for those in need, at 407-497-6701.

“No!” “Stop!” “Get away!” “Help!” “Chocolate milk!” It doesn’t matter what you yell, it just matters that you do, says Winter Park police officer Kaitlin Gonzalez.

Gonzalez stands in front of a room of women in Winter Park Police Department headquarters as each of them takes a turn simultaneously yelling the first thing that comes to mind, as they palm strike a resistance pad she holds.

Again, she says, it doesn’t matter where you imagine yourself striking an attacker, just that you do. But, the nose, eyes, ears, chin and groin, she advises, are all relatively easy, effective targets.

“Visualize yourself driving your hand through their body,” she says, demonstrating the move, her palm striking the pad with an echoing smack. “And always keep your hands up — protect your face.”

The women stand in warning stance, dominant foot angled one-step back, weight evenly distributed, as they yell and strike the pad following her example. In practice, they giggle over how foolish they feel, a normal response, Gonzalez says, as this isn’t meant to feel natural. But the reality of what and why these women are learning these skills couldn’t be further from funny.

“If an attacker approaches you, the only thing you have guaranteed is you,” Gonzalez says.

These Winter Park women are taking part in a free SAFE program (Self-defense Awareness & Familiarization Exchange) hosted by the WPPD in partnership with Victim Service Center of Central Florida in hopes of curbing violence against teen and adult women by offering free strategies, techniques, options and prevention tips to those who attend.

“The classes are all about preparedness,” said Gina Costa, executive director of the Victims Service Center. “It’s about safety and awareness of your surroundings.”

The Winter Park Police Department has hosted 24 of these workshops since July 2011, Sgt. Jamie Loomis said, and have reached an estimated 300 residents so far.

Crimes, regardless of gender, committed in Winter Park and reported to the Winter Park Police Department from July 1, 2011 through July 16, 2012:

Sexual battery - 10

Aggravated Battery - 16

Battery - 111

Felony battery - 3

Felony domestic battery - 7

Domestic battery - 73

Robbery to a person - 23

Crimes, regardless of gender, committed in Maitland and reported to the Maitland Police Department from January-December 2011:

Murder - 1

Rape - 4

Robbery - 5

Aggravated Assault - 21

Source: Winter Park and Maitland police departments

Since June, the Maitland Police Department has offered monthly courses with the same SAFE program in its Community Park for women age 18 and older. Both cities limit class sizes to give individualized, hands-on attention to participants — Maitland to the first 12 to sign up, and the first 25 in Winter Park.

These classes, regardless of where you live or how safe you feel, Costa says, help teach women how they can help prevent becoming another statistic.

“You can’t assume that just because you’re in Winter Park or anywhere else, that crime can’t happen to you,” Costa said.

According to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, in Florida, 17 percent of women experience rape in their lifetime and 41.8 percent of women experience a form of sexual violence other than rape. Add to that the 8,658 total violent crimes reported in Orange County in 2011, and Costa and Gonzalez both say they’d rather have women be safe than sorry.

“I’m all about being independent and not asking for help … but there’s a point in time where you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help,” Gonzalez said. Whether that’s for an escort to walk you to your car at night or when you get home to your driveway and things just don’t seem right.

Monica Mao, of Maitland, attended the Winter Park SAFE class on July 12. She said the course taught her to be more aware and prepared to situations she could face in daily life or during one of her morning runs on Cady Way Trail.

“I think it’s very good just to have the basic information on how to protect yourself,” she said. Next month she hopes to bring her teenage daughter to share the course’s information with her as well.

Ulane Holliday, of Winter Park, says she left the class feeling more empowered than when she entered.

“It gave me all kinds of ideas,” she said. “You really start to realize the power you have in you after learning these techniques.”

Palm and knee strikes, the assertive warning stance and how to escape an attacker’s grasp from an angle are all basic skills that can prove invaluable if someone is ever put in a situation where they may need to fight for their life, Gonzalez said.

The other option someone has is to comply with the attacker and work to survive that way. Gonzalez said that just as no two crimes are the same, neither are the reactions a person will have when put in such a situation. The decision between fight or flight, she said, is an internal one, but knowing you can fight back at least gives you the option.

“Everyone’s journey to survival is a personal one,” she said.