Preparing for the worst, every week

Tammy Anderson's class learns what to do if they are attacked in a car

By Kirsten Coachman
The Collegian

A Fresno State class on Assault Awareness is all activity, and doesn’t rely on lectures about self-defense.

This was evident last Wednesday when the class met next to a parked car by the South Gym. There they practiced a simulation on what would happen if they were attacked in a car.

The seven students in attendance took turns being a part of the demonstration. In the demonstration a knife, gun and rope were used. Students asked questions during the demonstration about what to do in a situation such as this.

The class is taught be Tammy Anderson. She showed a variety of ways to fight off a weapon attack.

Anderson, who has been teaching at Fresno State since 1999, said awareness and trusting your gut are the two most important things when using self-defense.

A typical day in Anderson’s class includes different types of escapes, how to get out of a bear hug from the front and the back, and how to use an everyday item as a weapon. Anderson said things like a cell phone, a text book or even a pen could help someone escape a possible assault.

Anderson’s class is mostly female, but said said her female student’s confidence level has improved since the beginning of class. This alone will help them, she said.

“Predators are out there, and they’re looking for low self-esteem, low confidence,” Anderson said.

Dawn Dominick, a Clovis Center student planning on transferring to Fresno State came to watch the demonstration last week because she is friends with a student in the class. She said she would be interested in taking the course.

“There are a lot of techniques I haven’t seen before,” Domick said.

She said a class such as this would help her in ways different than a typical, academic one.

“There are a lot of things in this world that are very chaotic. This is a class that would take these fears away,” Dominick said.

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