Take that!

Being assaulted is something that no woman should ever have to go through, but unfortunately not everyone will be so lucky. That is exactly why Leigh Horne has made it his mission to teach as many women to fight back as he can.

Mr. Horne is a traffic officer with Dalhousie Security Services who also spent 20 years working with the military police. He has been teaching self defence classes to Dalhousie women since 1989.

“The course is not so much about teaching you how to hurt people, but how to use the tools that you already have to defend yourself,” he says.

Trained in various forms of martial arts, Mr. Horne combines common sense tips with basic physical techniques to show women how they can avoid or escape from a would-be attacker.

Mr. Horne and his partner Deborah Kiceniuk, associate director with Dalhousie's Centre for Learning and Teaching, make sure attendees know what constitutes an assault and what the various laws related to assault are. They point out important pressure points and vulnerable areas of the body, show you various techniques to get away from someone who is grabbing you or is on top of you, how to prevent someone from trying to strangle you or using your hair to pull you down, and how to strike someone to prevent them from following you when you flee the scene.

Self defence for women The Dalhousie Women’s Centre hosts free Women’s Self Defence Classes in partnership with Dalhousie Security Sevices. These classes are open to all women in the community over the age of 16. Classes take place in Room 224/226 of the Student Union Building. Please wear comfortable clothing, runners (sneakers), and bring water. Registration is mandatory to keep track of numbers. To register, contact dwc@dal.ca or call 494-2432. The schedule: - Tuesday, Oct. 26, 6 to 10 p.m.  - Tuesday, Nov. 30, 6 to 10 p.m. - Tuesday, Jan. 25, 6 to 10 p.m. - Tuesday, Feb. 22, 6 to 10 p.m. - Tuesday, March 29, 6 to 10 p.m. - Tuesday, April 26, 6 to 10 p.m. - Tuesday, May 31, 6 to 10 p.m.

Mr. Horne also provides everyday safety tips, such as the importance of carrying a flashlight when walking at night, and the usefulness of a bottle of hairspray as a weapon for self-defence.

“I think that there needs to be greater awareness for young people of how to protect themselves,” says Ms. Kiceniuk. “I think if we can help women to do that, we can make it a safer place for everyone.”

The course is not designed to make women afraid, but to empower them, provide them with safety tips, and to give them with a sense of agency in case of an attack. “They don’t have to be victims,” Ms. Kiceniuk adds.

Mr. Horne has heard from past students who have used the techniques in real life and found them to work. “When the situation happened, [the training] came right to them.”

Maria Terrio, a member of the community who attended a recent session, says she feels more confident now that she’s taken the class. “I’m a small person, I wanted to learn how to protect myself,” she says. “I was surprised I could hit that hard!”

The classes are a collaboration of the Dalhousie Women’s Centre and Dalhousie Security Services. They are free and open to all women in the community over the age of 16. Classes run once a month in room 224/226 of the Dalhousie Student Union Building. To register for the class, contact the Dalhousie Women’s Centre at dwc@dal.ca or call 494 2432. The next class will be held on Tuesday, October 26 at 6 p.m.

LINK: Dalhousie Women's Centre