Happy Friday, Roanoke County!
I feel like a whole new person after meeting up with Deputy Young and Captain Beheler from Roanoke County Sheriff's Office! It's no secret that safety has become an increasing concern for many, so when I found out about the various self defense courses the Sheriff's Office offers, I had to head over to check it out.
We practiced two different variations of what to do if someone grabs your wrist. No matter the height or weight difference between the attacker and the victim, there are ways to get out. Instead of fighting back, you want to turn your body in certain directions which forces the attacker to let go. Watch the video to see how.
We also practiced what to do if an attacker grabs your neck. Again, it's a more productive use of time and energy for the victim to not fight back and instead use the y of your crossed hands to push out against the attacker's wrists. 
I was shown a few tools popular to carry around for protection. One was a flashlight stun gun which is a little bigger than my hand, making it the perfect size to carry in a bag or even a jacket pocket. Another tool is a kubotan which is about a four to five inch long plastic looking screw that can be hooked on to your keychain and used for defense. We, of course, talked about pepper spray too.
Some of the courses offered by the Sheriff's Office include a self defense and situational awareness class called AVOID (Awareness, Verbalization, Overcome, Identify, Distance) as well as a Rape Defense class offered for women.
If interested in taking any of these classes, contact Captain Beheler at 540-283-3107 or cbeheler@roanokecountyva.gov.
I know I feel a lot safer just from knowing these few moves and am looking forward to signing up for the classes to learn even more. See you there!