RunSafer

JTick

http://www.runsafer.com/

This topic comes up a lot on MFP, and I wanted to share this link. I just found out about this program through my local running store...they are hosting a clinic in May that I will be attending. I'm not sure if all of them are free, but I know that at least for my local clinic ASICS is picking up the tab. Sounds like it will be a neat night, and I'm sure I'll learn something!

JTick

I just want to update this...I attended the RunSafer clinic last night, and it was completely amazing. Todd was an Olympic runner, and has spent 12 years learning Brazilian jiu jitsu. He was funny and kept us laughing, but also taught us several moves for getting ourselves out of a bad situation. Cannot recommend RunSafer enough...if you have one coming to your area, I highly recommend going.

Platform_Heels

A lot of it is common sense though. Don't run when it's dark out, be aware of your surroundings, make sure people know where you're going, don't run in an area where there aren't a lot of people around.

I live in a very rural area and whenever I go running or biking for that matter I let my husband know what route I'm doing so he knows approximately how long it will take me. I don't listen to music and I am always looking and listening and just being aware. Where I used to work they have a bike trail and once or twice I used it but not that often because whenever I was on it there weren't that many people there and that always concerned me.

Also a lot of times whatever self defense training you had goes out the window in an attack situation because you're surprised and fighting for your life and the attack could be completely different than the kind they taught you in class. I'm not saying it's not a good thing to know how to defend yourself because it is but just realize that you might forget your training.

I was watching something once where you went through a class and at some point -- weeks, months even -- later the people who did the class would do a 'mock attack' on students to see if they could actually defend themselves in that kind of situation (the students didn't know when it was going to happen so it wasn't like it was planned). Do they do something similar here? Also I watched one of the videos and they showed the moves in slow-mo do they do a "mock attack" that's faster and a bit more frightening to get the full effect of what you're supposed to do?

JTick

^^I wouldn't say it was all common sense. Do you know how to get out of someone's grip who has your arm and is trying to drag you? I never knew how to do that until last night.

Some of it was higher speed. However, a great point he made addressing your concern: We have a better chance of remembering now than if we had never attended and never been taught in the first place. He posts the drills online for free, and he recommends buddying up to drill with a friend. You can't learn everything in an hour. He knows that. He highly recommends even finding a dojo and learning more. But I have a few tools that I didn't have before, very simple things.