TIMBERVILLE — When you think of mother-daughter activities, you may think of shopping or going out for lunch, but a mother and daughter from Lacey Springs bonded differently Wednesday evening.
“I’ve wanted to do this for years,” joked Holli Bland as she held her daughter Savannah Janzen in a “wall choke” position as part of a free self-defense class at Principle MMA in Timberville.
The pair was practicing a technique for getting out of a wall choke, one of the many things they learned at the class hosted by instructor Chris Messina. The students learned about how to keep their distance from attackers and practiced getting out of bear hugs by rolling their opponent over their hip.
The class was the first in a series of four free lessons at Principle MMA, co-sponsored by the Daily News-Record. Around 10 students attended the class at the small Principle MMA studio in a converted garage. Some were already Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students at Principle, but for others, it was their first self-defense class ever.
“I thought it was a lot of fun,” Janzen said. “I recommend coming with a partner. That way, you’re used to each other, and it’s not an awkward encounter. It was interesting to learn how little force you actually need to be effective, as long as you know where your placement should be.”
Bland said she wanted to sign herself and her daughter up for the class to keep Janzen safe when she goes to college. The Broadway High School senior may be going to an out-of-state university next year.
“I want her to have some skills and tactics, just in places she’s unfamiliar with, where she doesn’t really know her surroundings or the people there,” Blake said.
After the class, Messina said he was happy with how it went.
“It was great. I thought everybody did a great job,” Messina said. “I had a good turnout, which is awesome.”
There are still three classes to come, each from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday evenings throughout January. At the beginning of each class, Messina plans to briefly review what was taught in the previous class.
“Next week, we’re probably going to be getting into some of the more high percentage ways — probably headlock escapes, some choke escapes, if someone has you in a mount position, how to get into a more dominant position,” Messina said.
A lot of self-defense involves keeping yourself in a dominant position — trying to avoid being knocked down wherever possible and looking for where your opponent is “open,” Messina said.
“When I’m grappling with somebody, my opponent dictates what I do,” Messina said. “In street defense, I’m looking to get into a dominant position that’s going to keep me safe. I want to be up and more vertical and not on the ground.”
But the first step in self-defense is noticing your surroundings, Messina said.
“The biggest tip that I can give anyone is being aware of what’s going on around you,” Messina said. “Stay off your phone, put it in your pocket and look at people. Notice. Most people who get attacked are getting attacked because they’re not aware of what’s around them or who’s around them.”
