Dojo.com Blog

 Defense experts tell women to fight back

By Jessica Heslam  |   Tuesday, January 29, 2008  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Photo by Angela Rowlings

The T’s top cop, Paul MacMillan, says subway gropers tend to prey on women on crowded trains.

So what should you do if you’re groped or fondled by a subway pervert? Slap him silly and give him a loud verbal lashing, says one veteran self-defense expert.

“A women should immediately slap the guy and loudly say, ‘Don’t touch me like that’ and move away,” said David Leggeri, owner of Villari’s Self Defense Centers in Somerville.

Leggeri also suggests you shout loud enough so others realize you’ve been assaulted. “That’s going to embarrass the guy so he’s going to get off the train,” he said.

A woman should also trust her sixth sense, Leggeri added.

“Before you step onto the car, step back,” he said. “Let other people get on the car first and see how you feel about the people that are getting on the car. If there’s a car with more women on it, get on that car.”

You shouldn’t be afraid to move to another seat or another part of the train if the person near you makes you feel uncomfortable, Leggeri said.

To stay on the safe side, you should avoid traveling alone whenever possible and take self-defense classes, said Leggeri, a ninth-degree black belt.

While authorities were able to catch a suspect after a victim snapped his photo with her cell phone camera, the T’s MacMillan said a woman should only take the perv’s picture as long as she doesn’t put herself in harm’s way.

“We found that that picture was extremely helpful in identifying that suspect,” he said.

I visit a lot of martial arts blogs and forums every week. A fairly hot topic is the value of online and home DVD martial arts training.

Will new technology ever totally replace personal instruction? Of course not.

But, I believe much of the negative reaction comes from a place of fear and ignorance than a well-articulated and logical argument against the use of the Internet to disseminate knowledge of the martial arts.

There are tremendous benefits to taking advantage of technology

Here are several of the benefits as I see it:

1. Archiving the wisdom of the great Masters: Imagine if the monks of the original Shaolin Temple had the ability to video their technique- what we could do with that knowledge today! So much of the original material and philosophical foundations of many styles has been lost over time. Today, the Internet allows us to preserve information forever.

2. Teach on a global scale. Would you like to have the ability to teach hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of students all over the world? Dojo.com will have channels available for you to do just that.

3.  Positive Reinforcement. I know that when I conduct a clinic, many of the participants forget much of what they learned that particluar day. The Internet allows students to revisit previous lessons and practice at home. More motivated, more skilled students- exactly what every instructor dreams of, right?

 Bottom line- don’t be afraid or scornful of new technology. Embrace it. After all, 30 years ago, most martial artists scoffed at the idea of training in sneakers. Today, the martial arts shoe business is a multi-million dollar industry.

Grow or die. This is 2008 A.D.. Not 528 A.D.