Note: If you saw our ad in the local paper this week, see end of this page for more Parents Tips on Child Safety!

What is A.C.T. 

IMAF has been a leader in personal safety programs for years. As the developer of  "Awareness Confidence Training" for Women in the early 90’s, one of the first Women’s Self Defense programs, IMAF has trained hundreds of adults and children in self-defense strategies and techniques.

The A.C.T. for Women program has been taught in house, in Colleges and Universities and in corporate settings, where students and employees were at risk of personal assault.

The A.C.T. comprehensive self-defense course  focusing on three essential aspects of self-defense:

•  Awareness
•  Self-confidence 
•  Physical defensive capabilities standing and ground defense and attack

We offer the A.C.T. program for 

• Children
•  Teens
•  Women only courses

"Aggressive Combat Tactics"

This is a parallel program to our Awareness & Confidence Training Program designed for those that will be in a high risk environments due to work requirements or other circumstances. Course elements cover:

• Aggressive physical response (A.P.R.) - tactics and response criteria (when/how to use what)
• Weapons awareness and defense - understand offensive tactics so you can learn defensive measures.
• Multiple opponent tactics
• Ground techniques involving empty hand assault and weapons assault.

Stranger Danger – Parents Notes

Uncommon Danger

If your anxiety is growing over your child's safety these days, you are not alone. Parents everywhere experienced a collective ripple of fear over the recent high profile kidnappings and murders of Danielle van Dam and Samantha Runnion, among others. And the safe return of Elizabeth Smart did little to alleviate those fears.

In fact, abductions by strangers are very rare indeed, notes parenting expert Jan Faull, M.Ed., a parent educator and an expert columnist for LHJ.com and BHG.com. And abductions of pre-elementary-age children are, thankfully, largely unheard of.

According to a 1990 U.S. Justice Department report on the topic of abducted and missing children, the great majority of missing-child incidents concern preteen and teenage kids. Many of these turn out to be runaways. The next-largest group of kids fall under the category "lost, injured, or otherwise missing children." It is only a small minority of kids that turn out to be victims of abduction, and of those, most are "family abductions." Abductions by a stranger, or "nonfamily abductions," as in the case of Samantha Runnion, are not at all typical, according to the FBI National Crime Information Center's National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). But they are the cases where the child is most in danger of injury or death.

So, what can you do to protect your child? The NCMEC has built their campaign around three easy-to-remember words: No, Go, Tell. According to the campaign, when approached by a stranger who is asking for their help, children should remember:

·          No.Yell "No," as loudly as possible. This ensures that those around them know, or hear, that something is wrong.

• Go. Run away from the stranger toward home, the nearest adult or neighbor the child trusts, or to a safehouse (if the neighborhood has one).
• Tell. Tell the adult they run to -- a parent, neighbor, or babysitter -- what happened.

Preschoolers

Children under age 5 should always be under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian.

·         Help your child memorize his full name, address, and phone number.

·         Teach your child how to call home from a pay phone.

·         Make sure your child knows to call 911 in emergency situations.

·         Let your child know she has certain rights of privacy.

·         Teach your child the difference between a "good" touch and a "bad" touch.

·         Teach your child to recognize the types of "low-risk" individuals he may ask for help if he is lost -- including police officers, firefighters, school crossing guards, elderly women, and women accompanied by children.

Make sure your child knows another adult, besides her parents, whose help she may seek if she is hurt.

Tweens (6-10 years old)

Kids over the age of 5 begin to test boundaries. Grant your child enough freedom to help him develop confidence and independent thinking. However, be careful not to let your child get into a situation he can't handle. Parenting expert Faull recommends playing "what if" games to see how your child might react when confronted with challenging situations.

·         Encourage your child to pair up with a friend whenever she is away from you. Predators rarely focus on kids who aren't alone.

·         Require your child to check in with you before he leaves one site where he is playing and heads for another.

·         Make sure your child knows never to get into a car without your permission and to stay well away from strangers' vehicles.

·         Encourage your child to be a bit suspicious of strangers' motives.

·         Teach your child that the proper reaction to being accosted by a stranger is to yell "No," and run away.

·         Require your child to report to you when anyone -- even a relative -- asks your child to keep a secret or offers her money or gifts. Similarly, your child should always let you know if someone -- known or unknown -- wants to take her photograph.

·         Let your child know that people sometimes use tricks to lure children away from their homes. Make sure your child understands that adults should ask other adults rather than children for directions or help finding something, such as a lost puppy or kitten.

·         Consider making up a "secret password" only the family knows. This way, if someone approaches your child, saying he was sent by you or another family member, the child can ask for the password.

·         Teach your child to recognize the types of "low-risk" individuals she may ask for help if she is lost, including police officers, firefighters, school crossing guards, elderly women, and women accompanied by children.

·         Teach your child to trust his "gut" instincts. If your child is feeling unsafe or uncomfortable, he should run and seek help.

Make sure your child knows another adult, besides you, his parents, that he might confide in if for some reason he felt he couldn't come to you.

Preteens and Teens

If you've laid the groundwork for safety throughout her childhood, you have only to reinforce it as your child grows up. All kids seek increasing amounts of independence as they mature. And there's no set age for a child to be granted increased freedom. As the parent, you must gauge your child's maturity and judgment.

·         Pairing up with a friend remains the rule. Make sure your kids know that they are at risk when alone.

·         Though kids this age may think they're in control, let them know that they may be in even more danger of predators at this age. Share real-life stories from the news to make them know that these risks are real.

·         Educate your child about sex and sexuality. A naive child is vulnerable to sexual advances by predators.

·         Make sure your child is aware that drinking (and drugs such as ecstasy) can affect judgment and make your child vulnerable.

·         Advise your child that nothing he owns -- no jacket, shoes, jewelry, or money -- is worth risking a life for. Your child must know that if he is approached by someone who threatens him over personal items such as these, the only safe thing to do is to give them up.

Make sure your child practices Web safety.

Protecting Your Child from Abduction

What Parents Can Do

You can begin by setting up a system of checks in your home and family. When you leave the house, always tell your children where you are going and when you'll be back. When you ask the same of them, they will have a good example to follow. Also:

·         Encourage your kids to talk. Experts say kids who speak with their parents openly and regularly develop higher levels of self-esteem and assuredness, which makes them less vulnerable to predatory behavior.

·         Know your kids' friends and each friend's parents. Have contact lists readily available.

·         Know your neighbors. They will look out for your child.

·         Establish a parental "backup," -- someone your child can go to in case of an emergency where a parent is not available.

·         Do you live in a neighborhood with a block organization? If there are safe houses, make sure your child is aware of them.

·         Do your children attend afterschool programs or day care? Inquire about the screening procedures at these places your child attends without you.

Don't buy clothing that advertises your child's name. A stranger may use this information to give your child the impression that he is a friend.

What is Self-defense?

Awareness - observational and judgment skills

Self-defense is not all striking or kicking; most important is to be conscious of your surroundings. Being AWARE of your environment is known as being in "condition yellow"! Condition yellow is not clutching your your belongings to your chest as you move about or anticipating danger at every turn. It is taking the time to avoid poorly lit areas, looking both ways before crossing the street and performing constant threat assessment of your immediate surroundings!

The first step to self-defense is learning how to anticipate trouble. The shifty-eyed man wearing a heavy coat in the middle of the summer is an obvious one, but what about that nicely dressed jogger in sweats running up behind you? Leave your prejudice at the door, because bad guys come in all colors, shapes and modes of dress! The criminals biggest advantage is surprise. If he can't surprise you, you've started shifting the odds in your favor!

Spotting trouble before it happens is easy. The difficult part is paying attention 100% of the time. Even when you think you're paying attention, you may not be. How many times has someone surprised you by sneaking up behind you? Seeing a threat is meaningless unless it registers on an alert mind.

Knowledge gives us options. Knowing we can avoid conflict altogether gives us yet another option. We can capitalize on what our opponent presents us, or avoid him altogether. And that's what self-defense is all about!

Confidence - value your-self, who you are and project confidence!.

Feel EMPOWERED- Fear and intimidation are greater handicaps than lack of strength or physical size. Attacks on women are often about CONTROL! Don't let fear paralyze you but let it EMPOWER you! Take CONTROL!

Attackers select a victim many times based on a perception of that person. A vulnerable looking person is more likely to be selected as a victim than a person who projects confidence, resolve, etc..

The way you feel about your-self is often projected to others. You must have a high sense of self-worth, you must feel good about your-self, confident about ho you are, have a positive self-image. This translates into a confident stride, look, and shows through in conversation.

Firm verbal and psychological resistance appears to be effective. Studies also show that in a comparison between women who were attacked and those that avoided attack, those that avoided attack "tended to be somewhat more suspicious and often responded in a rude hostile manner prior to the signal of attack.

Studies supporting that immediate and firm resistance is a key factor in deterring unarmed attacks. Running, shouting or striking frequently resulted in thwarting an attack. Begging, pleading or verbal stalling usually does not deter attacks.

Action - consists of verbal (de-escalation) and non verbal (physical self-defense).