When you think about self-defense, holds, takedowns and other ways of warding of physical attackers come to mind. But Thursday night at the Spokane Police Academy, city officers provided a more wholistic type of training to about two dozen women.
The program, led by Lt. Shawn Kendall, focuses on situational awareness and having a “survivor’s mentality.”
“Mental preparation is the most important element [of self-defense]” Kendall said.
The women in attendance were eager to learn about that element.
"You want to be able to go where you want to go, and do the things you want to do. But you need to be aware of your surroundings, and this is a great place to learn how to do that,” said participant Colleen Murcar.
“[I want to be] able to be ready whenever I'm in a parking lot by myself,” said participant Mariah Kincaid.
The women learned about best practices in the classroom and then took turns doing real-world situational drills outside. One involved a stranger in a parking lot, another a shady Craigslist deal, a third a walk down a dark hall. All were focused on heightening awareness, scanning the whole scene, avoiding tunnel vision and not being afraid to be rude.
“[I want to] react less reactively in my situation, and be more proactive, and understanding my circumstance, and not being afraid,” Murcar said.
Although the class was targeted for women, the lessons of situational awareness are universally applicable.
"It's not important just for women. I think it's important for everybody," Kincaid said.