Lake Zurich girls learn self defense

Eighth-grade girls at Lake Zurich Middle School North learned how to defend against an attack by a predator as part of a self-defense program in their P.E. classes.

An instructor played a predator, and was dressed in a padded suit and wore a helmet. The girls were instructed to punch and kick him to escape his grasp as he attacked them in different situations.

"It's geared toward making the students advocate for themselves and being on the defense as they get older and spend more time" without parents, P.E. teacher Sue Danielson said.

The class taught the girls to be aware of their surroundings and to walk confidently with their shoulders back in public, making them look like a "tough target."

Although students learned preventive measures about safety on the Internet, at a party, on a date and in a parking lot, they also learned what to do in the event of a physical attack.

The students were told to yell to draw attention to the situation and then attack the predator before trying to run.

"(The class) taught me a lot of stuff I didn't know," said 14-year-old Alexa Larsen. "Your first instinct is to run, but now I know to yell a lot to get the adrenaline going, and then to go for the eyes, knees and airways to cut off their tools to catch you."

Larsen, of Hawthorn Woods, said she walks differently in public now and is more alert to her surroundings.

"I think it's really practical knowledge," Danielson said. "We talk about things that they don't think about too often, like how to protect themselves out in public."

Danielle Skupien of Hawthorn Woods said that before the class, she had no idea what to do if she was attacked.

"It felt good to learn what you were supposed to do under those situations," said Skupien, 13. "I never really thought about it, but I think it's a good thing to know."

Nearly 75 girls participated in the self-defense class. Danielson said she hopes in the future, the curriculum will be expanded to include boys.