1 in 6 of American women have been victim of either attempted or completed rape. Over 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape. College age women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted and every two minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.It is often said that a college campus is the most dangerous place for 18-22 year old women to be!!
These statistics are the reason that the UCLA Martial Arts Program is stepping up and taking an active role in educating UCLA students on sexual assault and how to prepare themselves by using risk reducers and increasing their awareness of this college campus problem.
(UCLA Martial Arts Director, Paul McCarthy talks to college women about awareness and self defense tips in case they are attacked. His “Got Consent” shirt resonates with a primary teaching tool used for both college women and men….no means NO!)
How do I educate myself and stay safe while on Campus?
Take a Martial Arts Class to learn how to defend yourself. Click here to go to the UCLA Martial Arts website which has details (including full syllabi) on each martial arts class offered. We recommend one of the following to gain the tools needed to defend yourself;
Classes run every quarter and cost between $30-45 dollars for the full 8 weeks!! If you live on the hill in a dorm you can request to have a custom self defense program come to your dorm. Contact your RA or Paul McCarthy at pmccarthy@recreation.ucla.edu to learn more or book a program.
New programs that UCLA Martial Arts will be running in the Spring quarter include the Wednesday Wellness Workshops in collaboration with CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services). These workshops will include a brief interactive skit that will educate students on the dangers of date acquaintance rape and show brief self defense techniques on how to deal with those specific situations. The tentative dates for these workshops are April 27th, May 4th, May 11th and May 18th or 25th. Once the details are set stay tuned on this site to learn the specifics.
How can I help or get involved?
The UCLA Martial Arts Program is always looking for assistance in teaching self defense programs. We have a Martial Arts Assistant Certification Program for those students who have taken a couple of martial arts classes and want to develop their teaching skills. Click the link to learn more. We are also looking for male and female presenters for the CAPS “He Said, She Said” interactive skit during the Wednesday Wellness Workshops. There is no experience necessary and full training is provided, public speaking and being able to ‘act’ out the characters of Tom or Amanda would be a plus though!
Contact Paul McCarthy at pmccarthy@recreation.ucla.edu for more information – Or attend the informational meeting on Wednesday the 9th of March at 8pm in the John Wooden Center Main Conference Room (at the back on the 2nd floor).
Interested in assisting during more programs? Spring will host The Clothesline Project at UCLA in May which will include a Take Back The Night event at its culmination. Volunteers to help set up, host and just generally help out with the event are always welcome. Contact the administrators on the linked page above, join the Facebook group or attend the meetings on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30pm in Ackerman 2412 (Spring location will change) , do not worry about being late, come for a little bit or the whole meeting!
I look forward to seeing you get involved with UCLA Martial Arts and helping to make UCLA a safer place for everyone!
Cheers
Paul McCarthy.
The UCLA Martial Arts Program 