July Instructor Certification Courses in Phoenix

Instructor certification courses for the Fight Like a Girl and Girls on Guard modules will be held in Phoenix on July 18 and 19 respectively.

More information on the courses as well as the benefits of becoming a certified instructor can be found at the Women's Self-Defense Institute's Rape Escape site.

In Crisis Never Fighting Against an External Enemy

"It struck him that in moments of crisis one is never fighting against an external enemy, but always against one’s own body... On the battlefield, in the torture chamber, on a sinking ship, the issues that you are fighting for are always forgotten, because the body swells up until it fills the universe, and even when you are not paralysed by fright or screaming with pain, life is a moment-to-moment struggle against hunger or cold or sleeplessness, against a sour stomach or an aching tooth."

— George Orwell (1984)

Kan. man convicted of Craigslist rape found dead

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A man facing nearly 30 years in prison for raping three women who had advertised in the "erotic services" section of Craigslist apparently committed suicide in his Kansas jail cell.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office says David Lee Gage of Wichita was found dead around 6:10 a.m. Monday at the county jail.

The 52-year-old from Wichita had been in custody since August 2008. He was awaiting transfer to prison after being convicted in May of seven felony counts, including three counts of rape.

Prosecutors say Gage met the women at motels, then flashed a federal marshal's badge and threatened to arrest them for prostitution if they didn't have sex with him.
The sheriff's office says it's the first suicide in that jail since 2006.

Embrace your pregame jitters: A little stress can improve your athletic skills.

British scientists who studied 40 collegiate athletes concluded that those who tried to quiet their nerves reduced not only their heart rates but also their confidence levels, which dampened their reflexes.

Instead, see the mantra below created by Jennifer Cumming, Ph.D., the study's author. When the athletes in the study chanted it, they were able to keep their heart rates up without feeling overwhelmed with anxiety:

"I am mentally and physically ready.... My body is signaling that it is prepared.... I have butterflies in my stomach and slight feelings of nausea...telling me that adrenaline is pumping round my body...confirming that I am prepared to begin...my body is in its optimal state...I am supremely confident that I can dominate the situation.... My muscles feel tight...they will react to my every command.... I am totally in control of my body and this focuses me on the task ahead.... My heart is racing faster...and faster...and my breathing is rapid.... I know that oxygen is coursing through my body.... I recognize these as feelings that I always experience prior to my best performances.... This makes me even more confident in my own ability.... Any thoughts of the competition that I experience just prove to underline my level of readiness.... All the other competitors can see that I am a well prepared, supent athlete who will succeed...."

Drug War Violence Hits Tourists in Acapulco

Tourists had to be evacuated as Mexican soldiers and drug cartel outlaws had a major shootout in Acapulco, one of Mexico's most popular tourist spots.

Instructor Certification Courses in June and July

There are Women's Self-Defense Instructor Certification Courses scheduled in the East in June and in the West in July:

June 20 -- Westchester, New York, Fight Like a Girl Instructor Certification (FLAG)
June 21 -- Westchester, New York, Girls on Guard Instructor Certification (GOG)

Steve Kardian will be running a weekend Instructor Certification Course for both the Fight Like a Girl and Girls on Guard modules from the Women's Empowerment Series. Contact Steve at (914) 760-8246 for more information and to register. Or go to his website at www.nydefendu.com for more info.

July 18 -- Phoenix, Ariz., Fight Like a Girl Instructor Certification (FLAG)
July 19 -- Phoenix, Ariz., Girls on Guard Instructor Certification (GOG)

These two modules are being taught by Brad Parker in Phoenix at the Paradise Valley School of Karate. Go to www.rapeescape.com to get a description of the courses, costs, information on where to stay and registration information.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of becoming a Women's Self-Defense Instructor, go here for more information on Instructor Certification.

Fear and lack of confidence

Fear and lack of confidence will undermine all training.

Throwing more training on top of the student will have some incremental gains, but to really make headway, you'll need to address the confidence issue.

Do yourself a favor and structure your training to develop your confidence first. If you are having problems with this, then find an instructor who is experienced in producing results in this area. I'm not talking about false confidence here i.e. "you just kick him where it counts and I guarantee he'll go down". I'm talking about a structured program that gives you real skills that go hand-in-hand with the development of the mindset that says "I can do this" and "I could do this if I had to".

She Cried Rape, But No One Stopped to Help

Thanks to Cindy Coughenour for forwarding this story about a woman attacked in a subway station in full view of a subway clerk and a train conductor.

Police were called, but there is no information on when or if they actually responded to the attack.

There are a number of lessons that this case points out, but the main one I want to emphasize is that you must be prepared to save yourself when no one else can -- or when no one else will.