Women Get a Fighting Chance Against Attack : Self-Defense: A nonprofit organization has taught 6,000 women to protect themselves against rapists or muggers.

When Linda Simeone took a self-defense class for women three years ago, she knew it was something that could prove “extremely helpful” if she were ever attacked. But not in her wildest nightmare could she have imagined that exactly one year after her class graduation, she would face the ultimate test.

While driving a friend to the hospital for outpatient treatment of schizophrenia, the 6-foot, 2-inch, 185-pound man suddenly pulled out a hunting knife and began talking about stabbing people. As Simeone drove, she tried to calm him down. But soon he began talking about plunging the knife into her stomach.

Eventually, the two wound up at a remote pier in Long Beach, where Simeone, a mere 5 feet tall and 144 pounds, tried to escape. “He came flying down the dock like Anthony Perkins in ‘Psycho.’ He had the knife in his hand and he was going to do me in,” she said.

A fierce struggle ensued. But, thanks to her self-defense training, Simeone was eventually able to knock the knife, and then the attacker, off the dock and into the water. She wound up with only superficial cuts and bruises. Her assailant was arrested. (Simeone, who is a Valley resident, asked that her place of residence remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.) “If it wasn’t for the class I wouldn’t have known what to do,” said the 42-year-old Simeone. “I wouldn’t be here talking about the incident today. Afterward, the police couldn’t believe it. They said, ‘Lady, we should have taken you away in a body bag.’ ”

How did Simeone acquire the skills to fend off an attacker twice her size?

Impact Self Defense. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to teaching women how to protect themselves from attempted assaults and rapes. The 18-year-old organization, with 12 branches located throughout the country, has trained more than 6,000 women, all of whom have graduated the course by fighting off a simulated full-force attack.

The end result? Of the 100 women who have actually been confronted after their formal graduation, all but two have been able to either verbally or physically repel their attacker.

“The program teaches women that they are worth fighting for and that they can be effective against an attack,” said Al Potash, co-director of the Los Angeles chapter of Impact Self Defense (formerly known as Impact Model Mugging), headquartered in Van Nuys. “The premise that a woman should be passive in the face of a physical assault is ridiculous. Research shows that a woman can repel an assault seven out of ten times by resisting.”

Impact’s techniques teach women how to short-circuit a man’s superior upper body strength. “When a woman is confronted,” said Potash, “she is trained to go for vulnerable areas--to drop to the ground and take out his knees or groin by kicking. By putting him in a position where he is reaching for her, he is at a tremendous disadvantage.”

The program, which is offered at six locations in the Los Angeles area, graduates about 500 women a year. Each class is headed by a male and a female instructor, who teach actual defense techniques and provide emotional support. During the six-week session--which offers about 20 hours of instruction at a cost of $395--training is provided at the pace a student is ready to accept it.

“Nobody is overwhelmed,” said Potash, who’s been with Impact since 1985. “It’s a supportive group atmosphere where there is no competition or emphasis on looking good. Everyone is doing their best to cheer everyone else on.”

On a recent Saturday afternoon in Van Nuys, a group of nearly a dozen women participated in one of Impact’s graduations. Dressed in T-shirts, sweats and athletic gear, each took a turn defending herself from a simulated male attacker--who wore close to 50 pounds of padding and a soft helmet. Repeatedly, the instructor would grab a woman from behind or by the hair, initiating a fight. The woman would stomp on the attacker’s toes, deliver a knee to the groin or a hand to the eyes. With the assailant stunned or distracted, she would drop to the ground and begin kicking, eventually landing knockout blows to the head by pounding her heel into the man’s forehead. All the while, fellow students provided plenty of vocal support.

Ron Dodson, a 6-foot, 6-inch, 220-pound man who has worked as an instructor for Impact Self Defense for the last two years, was the recipient of many of the blows. “This isn’t about women becoming a hit squad or assassination squad. It’s about women getting in touch with their power and learning to protect their rights. The idea is to help women feel comfortable and confident wherever they are,” he said.

Dodson, who became interested in teaching after attending the graduation of a friend, received more than 50 hours of initial training and had to observe classes for nearly a year before he was allowed to lead a class. “It has taught me a lot about being sensitive and aware of the problems women face in our society,” he explained.

Added part-time instructor Annette Washington: “During the six weeks, the change in the women’s behavior is like day and night. Before they take the class, many of them are afraid to go out after dark. They literally put their lives on hold. The same women, after graduation, feel empowered. They live their lives knowing that they deserve respect and nobody has the right to infringe on that.”

Not surprisingly, many of the students come to Impact Self Defense as a result of referrals by therapists and police departments. At one point or another, many have been molested, date-raped, assaulted, or raped by a stranger.

“Many of the women find the class a healing process. They learn to rewrite the script and become victors instead of victims,” said Potash, who is also a licensed psychotherapist.

But it’s not always easy. Far too many women, he noted, are socialized to be passive and not scream and fight at full force when attacked.

“We can teach them 100 techniques, but if they are not willing to use them, it won’t do any good,” Washington added. “So we work on developing a fighting spirit as well as the technique. With one of the two they have a fighting chance; with both they will win.”

In fact, by the end of the course, virtually all the women are not only equipped to take care of themselves if attacked, they possess greater self-esteem and are more assertive.

Dr. Warren Gayten, a psychological consultant at the Los Angeles Police Academy, is entirely sold on the concept. He first became aware of Impact while watching a segment on the news, and has since become a member of the organization’s board of directors. “It’s an outstanding program,” he said. “It’s designed especially for women. It teaches them to take advantage of their strengths and helps them develop a great deal of confidence.”

Impact Self Defense was created in 1972 by Matt Thomas, a black belt in several of the martial arts who one day listened to a fellow student in karate class tell about getting raped despite her black belt skills. Then, after a girlfriend was raped and beaten, he decided to leave Harvard Medical School to set up the first Model Mugging class in Boston. He pored over 3,000 police reports to come up with a program that could be effective in fighting physical violence. In 1985, Al Potash started the Los Angeles chapter, which now has classes in Van Nuys, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Redondo Beach and the city of Orange.

Those who have taken the course agree that it is one of the best moves they’ve ever made.

“It helped me open up to other people and in relationships,” said Emily Burns, a student at Cal Poly Pomona. “You gain a lot of security and confidence. Nobody who graduates from this class is going to go out looking for a fight, but it’s nice to know if anything ever happens you can take care of yourself.”

“Our society’s attitude is that women should always be nice, make nice, don’t make waves, don’t blow your cool,” said student Maggie Roberts of Los Angeles. “It’s life threatening for a woman to be raised that way. It’s important to be nice to the right people, but not everyone. It’s important to learn how to take control of a situation and say, ‘No.’ ”

Impact, which is supported through corporate and personal donations (without subsidization the classes would cost close to $600), will soon offer classes for children, seniors and the physically disabled. It has already trained deaf and blind students, including blind actress Millicent Collinsworth who appeared on the television series “Designing Women” to promote the self-defense course. And the organization offers advanced courses that teach women what to do if they are threatened with a weapon.

“Fighting is the last thing anybody wants to do. This isn’t a program to train militant, male-bashing women,” said Potash. “It’s about caring for yourself. Nobody should have their body violated or their rights abridged. This course simply gives a woman the power to make sure that doesn’t happen.”