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Women Service members participate in self-defense class

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kayla Newman
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Women Service members deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, took part in a women's self-defense class, Dec. 29, 2013.

The class, held every Sunday from 3-5 p.m., was led by U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Showni Anderson Marine Corps Forces Central Command Coalition Engineer - Afghanistan supply chief. Anderson will base the class off of techniques learned from Marine Corps mixed martial arts.

"There will always be threats out there," said Anderson. "There will always be reasons as to why you need to defend yourself."

The class, which will begin with a brief refresher course before each lesson, will cover how to counter strikes, how to get out of chokes and holds and will teach participants how to strike.

"I believe this class will instill self-confidence," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cristina Sullivan, 455th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron contracting officer representative. "Also, it will instill a more aggressive self-awareness that women Service members need and can benefit from, especially in the type of environment we live in while deployed."

Self-defense is not just gender specific, although this class is just for women.

"Self-defense is not just important for women, but for everyone," explained Sullivan. "We have to take care of our most valuable assets and those are our U.S. Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines."

For more information on the women's self-defense class contact Capt. December Garcia at 447-6272.