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After North Port Slaying, Women Fight Fear With Fists

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By KATE SPINNER Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 1, 2008

PORT CHARLOTTE - The sound of 40 women beating on karate cushions and yelling, "Leave me alone," turned a quiet conference room into a frenzy of activity recently.

The women, one of them pregnant and another nearly blind, are learning self-defense tactics. January's abduction and slaying of North Port mother Denise Lee is still fresh on their minds.

These and other women are realizing that they cannot depend on the men in their lives to protect them, said LaVonne Martin, owner of the Martin Academy of Martial Arts in Sarasota County.

"Women nowadays are taking more charge of their lives," Martin said. She said a rise in violent crime and the feeling that even places such as McDonald's are no longer entirely safe are prompting more women to take up self-defense training.

Women also are living alone more and have jobs that bring them into unfamiliar surroundings, such as home health care or real estate sales.

Doon Brown, owner of Ancient Way Martial Arts Academy in Bradenton, said in addition to the safety aspect, such classes are a great workout and help build camaraderie.

Several women who took the Port Charlotte course, offered free by Shuman's Black Belt Academy, said there was no better time to learn.

"With all these things going on, you just figure you better get yourself outfitted so you can take care of yourself," said Sylvia Pearl, a Port Charlotte woman who is almost blind and nearing age 70.

Law enforcement officers and women's advocates agree self-defense training is strong protection against becoming a victim.

"Taking classes that empower people and make them feel more confident can be life-saving, because at that moment you will instinctively react," said Jane Blanchard, president of the Sarasota chapter of the National Organization for Women. "It's an awareness as well as self-defense."

Short self-defense seminars and programs generally aim to give women the ability to shock their attackers and run away. The tactic is called "stun and run."

Dale Phillips, a deputy with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office who helps organize the classes, said women can avoid the need to use their "stun and run" skills by carrying themselves with confidence.

The biggest no-no for a woman intimidated by a threatening person or crowd is to look away in fear. If something were to happen, it is important to be able to identify the perpetrator, she said.

"Look at people in the eye," Phillips told the women. "Criminals - I call them cowards and they're not going to pick on somebody their own size."

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