STRIKING BACK
Girls gets self-defense lessons at high school
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.
» Ninth- and 10th-grade girls at Saratoga Springs High School experienced a different kind of lesson in gym class this week.
It didn’t involve running. There weren’t any teams. No goals were scored.
The girls, however, did learn something invaluable. Something that could help them in the most frightening and dangerous of circumstances.
In 2005, John Regan attempted to abduct a student at Saratoga Springs High School. He was set to be released from jail in the fall, but that’s since been pushed back.
“It definitely made us more aware again looking back at the situation that almost happened in our parking lot,” said physical education teacher Colleen Belanger.
Belanger and the physical education teachers decided to reach out to community organizations to see if anybody would be interested in teaching selfdefense to girls. A smaller program for 11th and 12th graders had already been completed in house, so K2Strong, based in Wilton, gave lessons to over 500 girls Monday and Thursday this week.
“They were very interested in providing their knowledge and information to our students,” said Belanger. “They’re volun-
"I can’t imagine people wouldn’t want to do something like this." — Marc Delnicki
teering their time to come in and do some basic Krav Maga skills with our students.”
Marc Delnicki and Russ Lee opened K2Strong about seven years ago. This week was the first time they’ve gone to a public school to teach self-defense.
“I can’t imagine people wouldn’t want to do something like this,” said Delnicki. “I think that to at least give the girls a set of tools is really important and hopefully they advance it and practice it and go further with it.”
The girls learned different techniques and basic Krav Maga skills.
“If somebody gets you in a bear hug, which is probably the most dangerous thing that could happen, how do you respond to it?” said Delnicki. “If somebody pulls your hair, grabs you and tries to drag you by the wrist. Different ways to respond to different possible confrontational situations.”
In most situations, the person being attacked freezes at the initial impact.
“They just stop. You are trying to give them what it feels like for that initial impact, and how to strike and strike vital areas,” said Delnicki. “Krav Maga is mostly about vital point strikes, so we’re trying to teach them how to strike vital points. If they can pick up one vital point strike and how to escape from somebody who grabs on to them, then they’ve learned something.”
Delnicki noted attacks and other physical incidents do occur, far too often.
“Statistically speaking, something’s going to happen with a lot of these girls,” said Delnicki. “And it’s an awful to think about, and it doesn’t have to be anything major. It could be somebody’s trying to grab and drag somebody [with them,] but at least they will have a way to respond to it now.”
Belanger said she hopes the girls take the knowledge they received this week and expand it. She said the school district will look to offer programming in self-defense for students but also for staff and faculty as well.