ASK THE Trainer

BY MISTY & JAMES EASTERLING

JAMES EASTERLING, A GRADUATE FROM TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY WITH A BS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING BRINGS A UNIQUE BLEND OF EXPERIENCE AS A FORMER COLLEGIATE AND PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL ATHLETE, COUPLED WITH HIS CERTIFICATION AS AN ADVANCED PERSONAL TRAINER AND CERTIFIED SELF DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR.

DEAR JAMES,

I have been concerned about my family’s personal safety lately, especially my teenage daughter driving alone. I read about a few recent incidents in Dallas that were concerning. Can you help us to better prepare to go out in public and stay safe? What do you recommend?

Dear Reader,

Great timing for your question because I just had a client who was unfortunately attacked walking to her car with her young daughter. She was pushing her shopping cart to her car with her daughter in the grocery store parking lot when a man ran up and grabbed her 7-year-old daughter. My client quickly responded by attacking the man, successfully pushing him to the ground, grabbing her daughter, getting into her car, and speeding away.

Unfortunately, it is a statistical fact that women are considered easier targets for criminals to attack or take advantage of. And for this reason, I feel adamant about women being properly prepared and equipped to protect themselves. Self-defense training is becoming increasingly necessary for women to learn and engage in. Self-defense isn’t just about knowing how to protect yourself—it’s about having the confidence in your strength to do it. It also requires the mental discipline to stay calm, think quickly, and react effectively, applying what you’ve learned in the moment.

In addition to learning self-defense training, a few other important things I always tell my clients are:

• Always be aware of your surroundings. Don’t enter or exit your vehicle or walk anywhere looking at your phone. Keep your head on a swivel.

• Look strangers in the eye and let them know that you see them and that you know they’re there.

• Keep Bear Spray with you. Bear Spray is a non-lethal deterrent used to stop aggressive or charging bears. It is made from capsaicin and is about three times more potent than pepper spray and smaller self-defense products. It dispenses in a fog pattern vs. a stream output and inflames the eyes and upper respiratory system, stopping an aggressor in his tracks and prohibiting him from further attacking. Because of its potency, it is not listed as a mainstream self-defense mechanism for humans; I recommend it because it is more effective than pepper spray in ensuring the attacker must stop, is non-lethal, and shoots up to 30-35 ft. away. Keep one can in the front part of your car, like the side compartment of your driver's side door, and perhaps one in the backdoor or the trunk where you can easily access it when putting up groceries, etc.

I encourage my female clients to focus on being strong, not just on specific physical traits they desire. It’s great to look fit, but if you ever find yourself needing to defend yourself, you want to actually be strong enough to do it— just like my client, who never expected to be in that situation but was able to fight back when it mattered most.

ELITETRAININGCOACH.COM

EDITOR'S NOTE: JAMES WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT FITNESS, TRAINING, AND SELF-DEFENSE IN UPCOMING ISSUES. GOT A QUESTION YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ANSWERED? EMAIL KATEWARD@BESTVERSIONMEDIA.COM AND YOU MIGHT SEE IT IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE!