Although the world seems to be upside down with the current conditions of coronavirus, assault is still apparent and does not always get proper acknowledgment.

It has become routine to see news stories of women getting assaulted or to glance past the various missing person posters throughout the town. It was not until I had witnessed an assault myself, that I knew that I had to do more to prevent a similar incident.

I decided to attend a women's self-defense seminar at Trident Jiu-Jitsu, and it was one of the best decisions I have made in a while. The team at Trident consisted of Joel Gingery: a nine-time black belt world champion and former Navy SEAL, Jessie Grace, and Sage Bender.

They taught various techniques that are friendly to women of all strengths and sizes. These are just a few that I found to be the most useful and that everyone should know!

1. Balance

It can be easy to tense up in a potentially dangerous situation. This tension creates additional instability making it easier for the attacker to maneuver the victim. For additional support, stand in a lunge like position creating a forty-five-degree angle with your back leg.

If ever in a situation where you are being pushed or pulled, stand in that same position while using your body weight to counter the direction of the attacker. Similarly, you could do the same while sitting down.

2. Specified Strategies

A heavily emphasized tip was the importance of protecting the area between your jaw and neck. If hit hard enough in this region, it could leave you unconscious. To protect this area, grab the back of your neck and use your bicep and tricep to block.

For a situation where you are on the ground with an attacker standing over you, always keep a leg up. The position should look something similar to a crab walk, but you will be on your back. Keep one foot planted on the ground while the other is extended and pointed upwards to block the attacker. The importance of keeping one leg up is that you could switch which one you use at any point while maintaining support to move yourself left and right.

3. A Message To Trident

Thank you to everyone at Trident for your kindness and dedication. The atmosphere was incredibly uplifting, and I can't wait to come back whenever I am in town! I most definitely recommend their gym to anyone in the Daytona Beach area. For more information, check out their Instagram @tridentbjj!