‘Fighting Back’ against sexual assault

If there’s one message martial arts instructor Henrie Timmers wants to provide women, it’s that they have the physical power to fight back against sexual assault.

“Perps are cowards,” he said. “They look for easy targets. Women shouldn’t be afraid to fight back,

and we give them the ability to know what they need to do if they ever find themselves in the situation.”

Nearly three dozen women are learning how not to become a victim as part of Timmers’ free12-week course being offered at St. Clair College.

“It’s like an assertiveness training program with an emphasis on physicality,” he said.

It’s also a course where Timmers doesn’t mince words.

“I call it rape because that’s what it is,” he said. “It’s a cruel and harsh word but it’s a cruel and harsh act.”

Last week’s topic of “bed rape” dealt with what to do if a woman is attacked while sleeping.

“What if you’re in a dorm setting, you’ve been out for a party and you wake up with someone on you?” he asked.

It’s a scenario that happens in post secondary institutions where Timmers said perpetrators prey on young women who may be away from home for the first time.

Jennifer Johns, a student counsellor at St. Clair College, said she’s grateful that Timmers is teaching the course and that he’s not charging fees for it.

“Students don’t have a lot cash so to see Henrie doing this because he believes it’s important is great,” she said. “We’ve had very good response from our students and we’re seriously looking at whether it can happen next semester as well.”

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Timmers began the course more than 30 years ago before retiring it. He decided to bring it back after the brutal sexual assault and murder of a Sarnia teacher on New Year’s Day, 2013.

“After the murder of Noelle Paquette I saw a lot of martial arts clubs having special women’s self defense classes and charging $75 a day for a seminar, and they weren’t teaching applicable self defense,” he said.

Timmers said sexual assault is among the most under reported of crimes.

He said nationally it is estimated only six per cent of attacks are reported.

“The CKSACC (Chatham-Kent Sexual Assault Crisis Centre) received over 700 calls in 2012, compared to the 143 reported to the Chatham-Kent Police Service.”

National studies by the YWCA indicate there are nearly a half million sexual assaults in Canada every year and that of every 1,000 assaults six are prosecuted and three lead to convictions.

Timmers said he estimates there are seven sexual assaults in Chatham-Kent each day.

“I tell my students they have the choice to fight back and be sore for a few days or to not fight back and let it haunt you the rest of your life.”

He said victims of sexual assault should have their own psychological disorder category.

“As time goes on they exhibit a number of traits common to SA victims, ranging from anger and mistrust to overcompensating with sexual activity.”

He said many victims have “feelings of not being worth any thing and that worst one of being a fake because they are hiding a dirty little secret. There’s always that big one of ‘What did I do wrong?’.”

He said it is rare for attackers to be armed but even if they are, it can be relatively easy for someone who has taken the course to deal with them.

Timmers said attitude and knowledge of attackers goes hand-in-hand with learning physical techniques.

“Rapists attack women they perceive to be weak,” he said. “If you’re walking with your head down, avoiding eye contact or listening to music through head phones, you appear to be an easy victim.

“If you’re aware of your surroundings, make eye contact and appear as if you’ll fight back, they generally move on.”

“The number one method I teach is all about attacking weak and vulnerable spots. I’m really big on taking out eyeballs,” he said. “One good poke in the eye and the fight is over. The loss of stereo vision and the pain is usually enough to end the altercation.”

In lieu of a fee, Timmers is asking that those taking the course make a donation to the Chatham-Kent Sexual Assault Crisis Centre.

He said more than 250 women have taken the course, in the past two plus years.

“And what I see is that self confidence and self assuredness that they will fight before they surrender. I meet a lot of former students in places of employment and you really can tell they have developed that survivor instinct.”