STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Tracie Ide watched as three dozen women and teenagers practiced driving their elbows into their partner’s jaws.
“I hear giggles. I want to hear ‘Grrrrr!’ ” she said.
“Defending yourself is uncomfortable, guys. But knees are beautiful,” she added, as she showed how to pull an imaginary attacker’s head down while raising her knee to incapacitate him or her in the groin.
Tracie Ide, a Level IV certified Krav Maga instructor from Boise, spent a rainy Saturday morning this past week exhorting women to get loud in Ketchum’s Community Library as she taught them self-defense moves using the Krav Maga style of defense.
Used by the Israeli army before being adapted for civilian use, it’s regarded as one of the most effective forms of self-defense there is. Based on natural reactions, such as kneeing someone in the groin, it can be learned very quickly.
If approached from behind, drop your center of gravity and widen your foot stance so it’s harder for the attacker to pick you up, Ide told them. Then turn and give him an elbow to the head or a knee to the groin.
“Once you decided to fight back, you’ve got to mean it,” she added.
“They’re not expecting you to do anything so you have the element of surprise,” noted Hailey resident Penny Leopold, one of the participants.
Ide showed the women and girls how to use the heel of their hands to target the face, eyes and neck. Then she showed them how to make a snow angel with their arms, while thrusting their pelvis upwards to buck someone off of them.
“This gives women the tools to do something if they need to,” said Darrel Harris, social change coordinator for The Advocates, which has organized the self-defense class for women in the valley for four straight years.
“It’s hard for a lot of people to hurt someone so they do have to think about their response ahead of time,” Harris added. “Most people I work with know the person that’s attacking them so that makes it even more difficult.”
Indeed, self-defense is about more than using your fists, noted Ide. It’s just as much about using your smarts.
Think of ways you can prevent potential problems, she counseled those in the class. Avoid an altercation if you can. Fight if necessary. Then run when you get the chance.
If you’re going to a party, take your own drink with you. Even bartenders have been known to sometimes slip things in drinks so know ahead of time which drinking establishments have bad reputations.
Avoid going through seedy neighborhoods. If you must, be aware as you walk through.
Train yourself to remember details, such as a person’s height and weight, what they smell like and what their hair looks like so you can relate it to the police if need be.
“Close your eyes and imagine what could happen and how you might respond. Check out where the doors are when you enter a room and where your escape is if you need one. And don’t walk through the worst part of town without a plan. Don’t put yourself in a precarious position. If you feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up, you know it’s time to do something,” Ide said.
It’s okay to carry mace or pepper spray or even a gun if you can commit to practicing with it daily, Ide said.
“Otherwise, carry a rock. If you think it’s scary to use your fist or your foot to hurt someone, think about what it could be like drawing a gun and keeping it on target while you shoot someone. You’re probably going to be shaking like crazy,” she added.
Jordyn Mary was one of a couple dozen teenagers in the class.
“I’m going to Ohio State next year so I thought it would make my mother more comfortable if I learned a few self-defense moves,” she said.
“My sister and I are planning on a bunch of road trips so I think our Mom would be very happy to have us know this,” added Sophia Mazzoni.
When some of the attendees questioned how much force was enough, Ide was blunt: “You have to use enough force for you to go home safely. You have to use enough force to incapacitate the attacker so you can get away.
Ide concurred that it is possible to hit someone in the chin with a knee or elbow so vehemently that they die.
“But you’re doing what you think is reasonable in the heat of the moment so you can go home and see your 9-year-od again,” she added.
By the end of the day, the defenders had left an indentation on the wall of the lecture hall. And many were sporting bruised hands.
“I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it actually is,” said Tayah Hamilton. “It’s really fun to punch.”
“You can really be brutal to someone,” said Elena Guylay.
“It won’t be easy if I ever have to hit someone,” offered Willa Laski. “But it will be easier than if I had never had this.”
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
The Community Library has several books:
“The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect us From Violence,” by Gavin DeBecker, who has advised the world’s media figures corporations and law enforcement agencies on predicting violence. He also has successfully proposed new laws to help manage violence.”It’s a great book,” said Darrel Harris, of The Advocates
“Saving Beauty from the Beast: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationship,” by Vicki Crompton and Ellen Zelda Kessner
“The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help,” by Jackson Katz, who spoke at the Community Library a couple years ago on behalf of The Advocates.