Local women wanting to take self-defense classes in wake of Bartram Park rape

There is growing demand for women's self-defense classes after police said a young mother was raped in front of her baby in Bartram Park. Action News Jax employees visited a self-defense company in that neighborhood to show you some life-saving techniques.

Owner of the Women's Defense Company Chris Oklevitch told Action News Jax 90 percent of self-defense is knowing your surroundings, but if someone's threatening you, you need to be prepared.

“We’re going to blade our body towards the attacker, and our hands are up and we’re going to yell, ‘No’,” said Oklevitch.

Oklevitch said you need to get into a fight stance and use an authoritative voice to give commands like, “Get back,” “Stay away,” or say,“No.”

“We’re going to just use our whole body to fight, not just our hands,” said Oklevitch.

Next, it’s doing the unexpected -- attack your attacker. Oklevitch told Action News Jax to go for the attacker’s vulnerable targets.

“If I can attack them right away, then I change that whole dynamic of that fight and they never thought I’d be the bad person,” said Oklevitch.

Oklevitch told Action News Jax if you're ready and able when the threatening person gets close, your best defense can be an offensive attack of your own. Oklevitch said if you can do damage, you can stop an attack.

“They (criminals) test their victim, they know if they can say anything to their victim, they can probably do anything to their victim,” said Oklevitch.

Cox Media Group