Women's Self-Defense Class: Fight, Then Flight

In the face of danger everyone reacts differently; some choose to face their attackers, while others seek the quickest escape from harm’s way. Clairton Police Sgt. James “Doc” Creely wants local women to know that both aspects of that fight-or-flight response are equally important if they meet an attacker.

Clairton Police Department and the Clairton Community PartnerSHIP (State Health Improvement Plan) hosted an evening program. Sgt. Creely offered a “Fight, Then Flight” self-defense course for women in their teens to their 80s. “A class like this gives women the freedom, confidence and knowledge to walk around their neighborhoods — no matter how safe or dangerous that place may be — without the fear of being attacked,” Creely stated.

Showing slides of pressure points and nerves in the neck, chest, arms and legs, Creely demonstrated palm heel strikes and knee strikes that can incapacitate an attacker. With the demos running smoothly, participants asked how a real attacker would behave and how a woman could get even one painful hit into the struggle.

“Everyone here knows what’s coming,” Creely said. “Your attacker won’t know what’s coming.”