The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Protect and educate
Cleveland Anti-Female Violence Initiative offers practical self-defense training
Although he’s in support of martial arts, the founder of the Cleveland Anti-Female Violence Initiative explained that “you can’t tap out in real life” when under attack from an assailant.
Such is the reason why Charles Smith developed his own self-defense training and the non-profit CAFVI, in addition to his personal experience with violence against women.
Smith recently opened a office in Willoughby, where he can provide training to others. Prior to moving in, Smith taught classes out of community centers and meeting rooms.
As a retired Cleveland police officer, he decided to share his experience and knowledge with other Northeast Ohioans.
“When I was coming close to retirement, I said ‘Well, what am I going to do now?’” Smith explained. “This is my calling, this is what I enjoy doing. It’s a very effective program. It’s not your typical self-defense training.”
Training provided by the CAFVI focuses on practical self-defense rather than generalized martial arts, Smith said.
“Personally, I think (MMA fighters) are the finest athletes in the world,” Smith said. “But that’s just it... they’re half my age, they train all the time. But the most important thing is: they can tap out, they have rules.”
“A lot of these self-defense instructors out there don’t have any real life experience, they just train in traditional martial arts,” he continued. “They don’t have the street experience that I have as a cop. A lot of the stuff I had to use myself to save my life or the life of my fellow officers.”
Smith said that his current personal combatives training, which he developed, was generated by his police experience. As an officer, he taught fellow officers how to defend themselves against an attacker.
“It came about because I was an officer survival instructor,” he said. “I would teach my department’s SWAT team, narcotics, any undercover detectives, as well as the general patrol officers.”
After a positive response from officers, Smith began to develop his personal combatives training for women.
“A lot of cops — it seemed like they’d take my training and they loved it and they were like ‘Can you teach my wife, my daughter...’” Smith explained. “So, I’d tailor it to that.”
He added that he can tailor his training to whatever an individual’s personal needs are.
Smith said that certain laws allow women to use deadly force in attack situations.
“When (women) are under what they call ‘serious, immediate danger of physical harm’, it’s permissible by law for them to use up to and including deadly force,” he said.
He added that this is why many people carry concealed weapons. But, they can’t always be drawn quickly in an attack scenario.
As a result, Smith’s classes always begin with situational awareness training. For example, he said people can be vulnerable to an attack if they are walking and focused on their cell phone instead of their surroundings.
“Situational awareness is the biggest thing,” Smith explained.
“When I go into any place and anybody that’s approaching me, I always look at their hands. Because the hands hold weapons, the hands kill. I always know the exits... It’s a very different system.”
There are also several self-defense myths that Smith hopes to dispel with his training, including the myth that women cannot defend themselves.
“There’s a big myth out there that you have to be in great shape to defend yourself,” Smith added. “Your typical attack is going to last four to seven seconds. So you don’t have to be in great shape.”
Smith also highlighted that his classes are open to anyone, especially those whose could be targeted by attackers.
“I’ll teach people who identify as females, gay and lesbian communities — anybody that is considered a target,” Smith said.
At CAFVI, Smith also offers courses on antiadult/child abduction, Realtor safety, armed active shooter response, corporate safety training, antibully response training, college campus safety and adult self-defense.
Although he is currently funding CAFVI himself, Smith hopes to branch out in the future and raise money for the organization. He also hopes to work on DVD and video recordings of his training as well.
“I really want to make this a movement, a cause,” Smith said. “We’re in great need of funding, donations. Hopefully I’ll get to a point where I can apply for grants.”