It is more than likely if you have not yet been a victim of a robbery or burglary you probably know someone who has and that person especially if it is a woman would tell you it is a terrifying experience. But an activity by the Women’s Department promises to make women better prepared if they are attacked. The self defence training is not a new initiative by the department, in fact after attending only two sessions in a previous event Elisa Castellanos, the job placement officer at the Women’s Department had to put good use the skills she learned. According to Elisa the first time she was robbed she panicked but this second time around she was prepared.
While the robber did manage to get away with some of her personal items, the skill she used help the police to later identify the suspect. Today Elisa shared her experience with 7News and appealed to all women to take advantage of another free self defence training that will take place on November twenty sixth and December fifth.
Jacqueline Godwin,
“How will the training be conducted and who will be training these women?”
Elisa Castellanos, Job Placement Officer – Women’s Dept.
“We’re getting an instructor, her name is Miss Rene Wence and she has experience, she has a black belt in marshall arts and so she is a trained instructor, she has done previous training for the Women’s Department and she will be conducting the training and the training will be held in two different sessions on Saturdays starting November 14th, we have two sessions. They can either come to the morning session, which is from nine to twelve, or they can choose to come to the afternoon session which is from one thirty to four in the evening and then we are having an evening session for women who work during the day and can’t make it on Saturday. The evening session will be on November 26th from 5:30 to 8 and then we have another Saturday session which is on December 5th and that again is from 9 to 12 and then 1:30 to 4 as well.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Elisa you are a prime example of how just after attending two sessions in a previous self-defence training, how that came to help you. Explain to us what happened?”
Elisa Castellanos,
“I had attended a session with Renee at our sisterhood camp which is another activity that the Women’s Department had done sometime this year and then a few months after that I was mugged and my reaction, I have been mugged before; my cell phone’s been taken, couple of things have been taken. But this time around my mentality, my mindset was much different.
What I did I remember what impacted me the most from the session, she said don’t panic and sometimes it is not the safest option to fight back because it aggravates the aggressor more and for me when I was mugged, when I was being mugged, I was thinking to myself don’t panic, don’t panic and it kept me safe and it kept me focused. I kept looking at the guy’s face, I kept looking at both their faces because it was two of them and I know that because I stayed calm and I didn’t try to fight back, I have a better chance of identifying them afterwards. Yes they took my personal items, they took my bag and they took my money but at least I know that when I go to the police station I could have made a better report.”
If you are interested in attending any of the self defence training session contact the Women’s Department. Remember it is free of cost.
