Karate black belts teach women defense

SPARTA — Scott Klinger of Fredon, was assisted by black belt, Jeffrey Beebe of Sparta, and several black belts at his karate school on Sunday morning to give an important clinic: Women's Self Defense.

Because of an incident that happened in his own family, Klinger offered this clinic free of charge because he feels it is of paramount importance that women know how to defend themselves, how to get out of unexpected dangerous situations and to know how to take steps to prevent themselves from being a target.

Held at the East-West Karate Dojo in Sparta, the seminar began with a lot of information regarding personal space, always keeping an eye out for danger and a number of safety strategies. From there, the instructors did demonstrations and worked with the 14 women and girls in attendance to help them perfect some self-defense moves in the school's large, matted area.

"This isn't about fighting today," Klinger said, "It's about you learning how to escape."

Participants learned the basics of how to quickly disable an attacker for escape, focusing on learning how to take advantage of time and space to make a quick getaway. They also learned how to get out of various neck holds and a move to called "the shrimp" where you back away from rather than moving toward an attacker.

As Beebe worked with the women, he showed them how important it is to react quickly and stressed the importance of using something like a heel on a shoe or a boot to their advantage.

"We learned a lot," said 10-year-old Marah Whitby, of Newton. "But I think the best move was to use your knuckles to release someone who has grabbed you."

Above all, the class underscored the importance of using your head and your instincts to avoid a dangerous situation.

"Always assess every situation you're in and when you say no, it means no," Klinger stressed.

East-West Karate is located on Route 15 in Sparta and offers a wide array of karate classes for all levels and ages. This women's self defense class is offered periodically.

In addition to running, teaching and overseeing all proceedings at the Dojo, Klinger is also a master electrician and owner of RSK Electric. Beebe is an esteemed instructor at East-West and is also the Vice President/Investment Representative at Lakeland Bank.