Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Fight? Flight? Both?

Self-defense lessons for kids are good, but running still works.

By SHERYL KAY
Published May 27, 2005

It's not unusual for schools to call on Steve Del Castillo's Premier Martial Arts school to present a "Stranger Danger" program.

But five calls in two months is a sign of the times.

The abductions and slayings of three young girls in the past year, all within a 100-mile radius of Tampa, have set parents on extreme edge.

"It took very unfortunate events to make people aware," said Del Castillo, 36, a fourth degree black belt in progressive karate, and owner of the school in Land O'Lakes and Cross Creek.

"The need has always been there. The awareness is just up."

Many organizations run Stranger Danger-type programs, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Unlike self-defense classes, however, the sheriff's program does not include any instruction for the child regarding physical defense.

"It's just not part of our curriculum," said Cpl. Joe Burt in the crime prevention division. "We teach them not to engage a stranger in any conversation, and not to get even close enough where they have to defend themselves."

Burt said there is some concern that if children are taught to physically defend themselves, there may be a false sense of empowerment, and even more importantly, critical lost time.

"If a child is at that point of making a decision as to whether or not he should fight back, then he's already gotten to the point where he's identified this person as a stranger who can harm him, and if the child has gotten to that point, then we just want him to run away," Burt said.

But running away is not always possible. Authorities think both Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde were seized abruptly and had no opportunity to simply run in the other direction.

While no one can say if martial arts training might have helped them, instructors believe they can better a child's odds in some cases.

At Martial Arts Advantage, children are taught "grappling," a form of self-defense through wrestling, owner Anthony Kuntz said. Every person, he said, is always off balance in some way, so the children are taught "leverage control."

"Martial arts teach that if you try to use your muscle, you will eventually meet someone who is stronger than you, and in that case you are at a disadvantage," said Kuntz, a fifth degree black belt in tae kwon do. "We have skills that we can teach a much smaller person so he can actually get away from a much larger person without using any strength."

Kuntz, 33, is quick to add that while there is kicking and punching taught in self-defense, the overriding principles shared between a master and a student involve discipline and respect.

Children who go through his program have more confidence and more self-esteem, he said. Such qualities might help the child voice her concerns if an adult has invaded her personal space.

Martial arts lessons also afford the children repeated opportunities to practice what they've been taught, said Greg Diaz, owner of Karate for Kids. At his studio, the children are repeatedly taught the rules and procedures regarding strangers and evasive techniques.

"Spontaneous reaction, how to avoid and get away, you need to train for this," said Diaz, 45, and a sixth degree black belt in tae kwon do. "Knowing is one thing, doing is another, and that's why training is so important for these kids."

Whatever specific martial arts discipline is taught, almost all the experts agree that the first line of defense for children is awareness, and then evasion.

At Kowkabany's Family Tae Kwon Do Center, a child learns that one of his best weapons to get away from an assailant is his voice. Many children who take no self-defense training are afraid to yell and cause a commotion, studio owner David Kowkabany said. The outcome can be fatal.

Kowkabany remembers how teenage girls in his program reacted when they saw video footage of Carla Brucia being quietly led away by her captor.

"They were just floored," he said. "They kept saying, "Why didn't she fight back? Why didn't she scream?' "

There is no one answer, said John Mayo, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in families and children. He also stressed that while the recent news may lead one to think otherwise, child abductions, especially those ending in homicide, are still fairly uncommon.

Still, Mayo, a brown belt in tae kwon do who took lessons alongside his two young children, does see the value in teaching children some form of martial arts.

"The physical skills the kids learn can enhance their self-confidence," he said. "As you learn the kicks, the katas, that's a success, an accomplishment, and that makes you feel good about yourself."

At the same time, Mayo said that learning physical self-defense techniques in isolation is not a good idea. Communicating the various scenarios and making safety plans ahead of time are also important tools with which to arm a child.

"Even though it is very remote, child abduction can happen," he said. "It's our responsibility as parents to give our children a broad set of choices and responses."

Here is a random sampling of self-defense courses taught in the north Tampa area. North of Tampa does not endorse any particular program.

* Premier Martial Arts, 10014 Cross Creek Blvd., 973-4634, and 22952 State Road 54, Land 0'Lakes, 948-4844. Teaches progressive karate. Age groups: 3-4, 5-6, 7-12, teens and adults. Various membership fees available.

* Karate For Kids, 15355 Amberly Drive, Tampa Palms, 972-2200. Teaches tae kwon do. Age groups: 3-5, 6-11, 11-15, 16-adult. $90 per month.

* Kowkabany's Family Tae Kwon Do Center, 10065 W. Hillsborough Ave., Town 'N Country, 886-5447. Teaches songahm tae kwon do. Age groups: 3-5, 6-11, 12-adults, family classes. $85-$150 per month.

* Martial Arts Advantage, 14214 N Nebraska Ave., 977-8800. Teaches tae kwon do and other disciplines. Age groups: 4-5, 6-12, teens and adults, family classes. Average monthly fee $100.

* John Prevatt Karate Studio, 5354 Ehrlich Road, 962-4004. Teaches tae kwon do. Offers afterschool program (picks children up at local schools for afternoon classes and day care) for children 5-14. $89-$189 per week, depending upon number of children enrolled.

* Bob Sierra YMCA, 4029 Northdale Blvd., 962-3220. Teaches kung fu. Age groups: 6-15, 16 -adults. Facility members $43 per month; program members $68 per month.

* Self Defense America, 3432 Colwell Ave., 935-1800. Teaches chon tu kwon. Age groups: private lessons only for children, classes for 13 years old and up. $60 per hour for private lessons, various memberships for classes.

* Yung Ho Tae Kwon Do School, 1303 East Busch Blvd., 935-8888. Teaches tae kwon do. Age groups: 6-11, 12 and up, family classes. $95 per month.

* Mark S. Russo's Quest Center, 15049 Bruce B Downs Blvd., 971-5545. Teaches to shin do. Age groups: 4-6, 6-7, 7 through adults. Memberships vary.

* American Dragon Dojo, 8208 West Waters, Town 'N Country. Teaches mixed style karate, kickboxing, and ju jitsu. Age groups: 4-12, 12 and up, family classes. $70 per month.

- Contact reporter Sheryl Kay at skreporter@hotmail.com

[Last modified May 26, 2005, 08:33:06]