Using the circles-of-influence concept of hapikido, Larry Nisenoff gave the Junior Girl Scouts of Troop 3846 a lesson on how to avoid trouble. As a potential attacker approached the girls from the other side of the room, Nisenoff went from being aware, to assessing the situation, to avoidance and finally running away.
"The longer you wait, the more risk there is," Nisenoff said. "You've got to trust your instincts."
The Springfield-based Scouts were in Nisenoff's studio Sunday, April 25, to learn self-defense skills and hopefully earn a badge, according to one of the Scout leaders, Susan Metcalf. The Girl Scouts included Sammy Tkac, Elyse Endick, Carolyn Metcalf, Kelly Metcalf, Francine Cilke and Mabel Fong.
"We're trying to teach the girls how to defend themselves. There's so much scary stuff in the news these days. We want them to be prepared," Metcalf said.
One of the parents, Michelle Endick, met Nisenoff at her synagogue. She discussed the class with Nisenoff, who teaches three nights a week at Mt. Kim Tae Kwon Do in the Kings Park Shopping Center. Nisenoff arranged a two-hour lesson for the girls.
"I teach the circles of safety," Nisenoff said. "You want to keep a threat outside the circle. Avoidance is part of it."
IN CASE avoidance fails to work, the scouts practiced a certain amount of controlled rolls to use when a victim is pushed, or ways to release a grip if an attacker grabbed the victim. Nisenoff mentioned a teenage girl in Florida who was recently abducted and murdered. Part of the abduction was caught on a surveillance camera and broadcast on news stations around the country.
"The FBI statistics are very humbling," Nisenoff said.
Francine Cilke, 12, tried out the moves she learned to break someone's grip, on her brother. Francine taught him the evasive moves too.
"I showed my brothers and stuff," Francine said. "He got away from me, too."
Elyse Endick, 11, also tried to learn the evasive moves, so "I could get away from a bad person if they tried to hurt me."
"He told us to run and scream," Elyse said.
While learning self-defense, both girls realized the truth in what they were doing. Sometime in the future, they may face a potential abductor.
"I thought that if I had to use it, I might get nervous," Francine said.
"It was sort of scary, but it was fun," Elyse said of the lesson.