Washington County Women Participate in Self Defense Class to Ward off Possible Attackers

SANDERSVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – During the first weekend of August, three separate muggings happened in Washington County.

Luckily, a few residents were already working to bring a women’s self-defense class to Sandersville.

During her 20 years of marriage, WSNT-AM radio host Nancy Craig never really thought about how she would defend herself, because her husband was always by her side.

Then the couple had a divorce.  Craig realized she’d taken having someone to protect her for granted.

That’s when she contacted Tommy Brantley, owner of Brantley Soo Bahk Do Karate School in Sandersville, about starting up a women’s self-defense class.

“Women need to have a little knowledge of, if they’re attacked, how to get out of the situation,” says Brantley.  “Especially if somebody is physically hurting them.”

The radio station teamed up with Brantley to start a 6-week class for women in the community, which teaches them how to ward off an attacker.

“It’s amazing what weapons you do have on your body and he (Brantley) has really been showing us everything we have on our body to use to get out of tight situations,” says Craig.

“They’re going to learn awareness, and just being aware in their surroundings,” says Brantley.  “Naturally, if somebody grabs them or attacks them, I’ve taught them the different weapons of the body and what areas of the body to attack.”

“Hitting in the nose, hitting on the neck, punching them in the ear,” says Craig.

Brantley says all he can do is teach knowledge.  It’s up to the ladies to gain the confidence needed to defend themselves through his classes.

“I had one lady to start and within two classes her confidence level had gained and you could just see more confidence in her face and in her reaction,” says Brantley.

Craig says she’s thankful to have someone in the community like Brantley who can teach women how to successfully defend themselves.

“The way the world is right now, and the way people are losing their jobs, it makes you feel safer,” says Craig.

The radio station is working with Brantley’s school to give free classes to victims of violence.

The classes are held on Monday nights at 6 on a 6-week basis.  The cost for the class is $55.

For more information about the class or to find out how you can get involved, call Nancy Craig at (478) 552-5182.