On the 23rd and the 24th of October the whole year took part in a self defence course. A qualified taekwondo and kick-boxing instructor came in to us to teach us self defence skills. For the first two hours he talked to us about what we will be doing and what the skills we will be taught should be used for.
The main message he was getting across fit inside an acronym, S.A.F.E.R. This stands for Step back, Assess the situation, Find help, Evaluate and React. These are the steps that should be taken if you are ever confronted or attacked on the street.
Later in the day we went down to the hall and were shown easy and effective strikes. We were shown a few different efficient combinations. We were shown how to intercept a punch and how to take somebody down from there. We were shown different ways to protect yourself if you are on the ground. Near the end we were shown how to best stop an attacker with a bat, knife and even a gun. I hope I never have to use these skills but I am glad that I was shown how to protect myself if I ever find myself in a situation where I need to use these skills.
In the end we did an assessment which was to see how well we operated when being fatigued. I think I did well enough.