Thirty percent of Americans become victims of a violent crime in their lifetime, and nearly all victims of violence receive no financial compensation for their experiences with assault. Minority groups are more susceptible to targeted attacks, often in relation to their gender identities, household incomes, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations.
To most, this may not raise any concern, but take a look at your surroundings. If you’re in public, count off the two people nearest to you. Including yourself, one of you will be the target of a violent crime in your lifetime, statistically speaking. That person could be you.
Anyone can become a victim. It only takes one agitated person to change the course of your entire life.
In late July, a crime of this nature occurred locally between two men outside of The Science Project, and although the crime did not result in any casualties, it has impacted the community in which it occurred.
A team composed of local business owners resolved to spread awareness about self-defense by organizing a seminar in response to the attack in July. The group featured Joel Blanton (Logansport Jiu Jitsu), Matt Swisher (Bonus Pints and Vibrant Events Catering), and former Police Chief Travis Yike (Logansport Police Department).
On Sept. 16, the event took place at Vibrant Event Center. It was free of charge and garnered a large, diverse audience from Logansport.
The organizers of the event are planning to hold more assemblies to effectively spread awareness about self-defense and its significance in today’s society. They aim to reach more citizens of Cass County while also simultaneously possessing the resources to produce more tactile-oriented lessons, such as martial arts and other similar principles of self-defense.
The “Five D’s” of self-defense are a prime example of the basics of protecting oneself. They are presented as five simple words that can apply to a vast range of circumstances. By focusing primarily on how to react to possible threats, the “Five D’s” can be easily applied to any instance in which one may feel threatened.
First, one must decide whether the threat is existent and imminent.
Second, deterring the aggressor from causing harm is crucial.
Third, the aggressor’s attempts at violence must be disrupted. This can be achieved in a number of ways, including verbal and physical confrontation.
Fourth, fleeing the scene and ensuring that the aggressor is out of sight is the most efficient way to disengage from the situation.
Fifth and finally, one should give a debrief of the incident to the authorities. By following this set of responses, an incident that could have easily turned violent is able to be decisively prevented.
As a new era dawns, an increased amount of violence emerges with it, and being capable of sensing the signs of a dangerous situation is just as crucial as knowing how to adequately react to one. With more awareness-focused events emerging, such as the self-defense seminar at Vibrant Event Center, ordinary people are becoming heroes. These people are called to action to protect others out of an admirable desire to change the way the world works. They know that violence cannot become normalized in society.
Will you rise to the occasion like these brave few?
