The Canyonville (Ore.) Church Women's Ministries hosted a self-defense class in March lead by Dan Martin and Gary Provencal, Douglas County Corrections deputies. Enrolled in the class were 17 members, including two teenage girls. The seminar covered identity theft protection, home safety tips, and self-defense guidelines and maneuvers.
"The best way to handle an attack is to prevent it," Provencal shared. "Common sense is your best defense." With more than 50 years combined on the force, both Martin and Provencal showed several techniques using your own body's leverage to break an attacker's grip. Each participant received a personal protection handbook with picture illustrations and instructions.
From teenagers to members in their 80s, everyone walked away with a feeling of self-confidence and more security. Seventh-grader and church member, April Gladden, said, "Always being aware of my surroundings is key to my own protection. I know that the material we learned could be useful in any situation."
"The presentation we heard was very good; it was a lot of practical stuff. As Christians we need to trust the Lord, but He expects us to do our part," says Melody Kolstad, women's ministries' team member. "This type of event opens up a great community outreach program for any church."
