We fight for our lives Self-defense classes offered for free

PAOLA CASTILLO Reporter

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported that between 2015 and 2017, there were three reported sexual assaults on the Pierce College Campus. Because of statistics like these, Spice Williams-Crosby and Jennifer Silverstein have taken it upon themselves to teach women how to defend themselves.

Spice Williams-Crosby, an actress, stuntwoman, and martial artist, and Jennifer Silverstein, who was formerly in the Israeli military, created the “I Fight For My Life” seminars after noticing a high demand for women to learn self defense.

“We started our own classes free for women at the House of Champions in Van Nuys, California,” WilliamsCrosby said. “It was just like a onehour class once a week, and the demand just got greater and greater until we decided to put together a whole five hour seminar for a Sunday.”

The seminar covers various selfdefense tactics and simulates possible situations a victim of a sexual assault might go through. Silverstein said that 10-years-old would be the youngest they’d be willing to teach because of the mature subject matter.

“Definitely preteens, teenagers, it’s a must. It’s a must,” Silverstein said.

Despite having a focus on women, the seminar is open to anyone who wishes to learn. They will also teach different methods of selfdefense to match the student’s needs.

“It’s open to men and women or whatever you want to label yourself as,” Silverstein said.

“We don’t discriminate.”

Apart from helping women physically, Williams-Crosby and Silverstein want to help eliminate the feeling of being a victim.

“The bottom line is whether you get attacked, maybe it’s not a big rape, but you get accosted or you’re touched or you’re at a party or something is happening that makes you feel like a victim, you’ll always be a victim. You’ll always look over your shoulder. You’ll always be scared,” Williams-Crosby said.

Marriage and Fami;y Therapist

Lupita Martinez said that victims of sexual assault expirience mistrust.

“You see a lot of individuals who are exposed to sexual harrasment or rape or any sort of physical or emotional harrasment, [they] tend to be very suspicious of others,” Martinez said.

Martinez said victims of any form of sexual assault may expirience symptoms similar to those exposed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The symptoms she mentions are hyperawareness, hypervigilance, suspicion, or nightmares.

Martinez recommends for victims to try relaxation exercises when they are feeling uneasy.

“You want to be able to do a guided meditation,” Martinez said.

“We also have progessive muscle relaxation or even just utilizing mindfulness where you just focus on the present moment like what you see, what you hear, what you smell, what you taste, and what you touch.”

For victims who are not ready to get help, or want someone to talk to, Martinez recommended using the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, the Crisis Textline, or the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline provided by RAINN.org. Martinez said the services aren’t limited to one type of situation.

“There’s a huge misconception that the National Suicide Prevention Hotline or the Crisis Textline are only for people that are suicidal, but it’s also for people that are just in crisis,” Martinez said.

Williams-Crosby and Silverstein also mentioned ways women can help themselves physically. Staying off the phone, keeping keys in hand, and checking the inside of the car were the main tips given. They also stressed to keep aware.

“Be aware and be prepared,” Silverstein said.

“Prevent, prevent. Don’t go down that dark alley,” Williams-Crosby said.

The next I Fight For My Life seminar with be on Sunday, October 13, at 11 a.m. at the House of Champions Academy of Martial Arts.