25: Jordan Giarratano on Practical Self Protection and Defense in the Face of Sexual Harassment and Assault

Last March, Seattlite Kelly Herron fought off an attacker (a registered sex offender she later learned) in the middle of her mid-day run. I read this in the news and was rattled to the core by the story - that could have been me, that could have been any of millions of women who go for a run on any given day. It turns out, she used the skills she had just learned in a self-defense workshop she had taken the week before taught by todays guest Jordan Giarratano . You should go read the details of her fight  - I was awestruck by her power and might. As I said, what happened to Kelly could have just as easily happened to any of us. And we tend to think bad things won’t happen to us. But they can. and this doesn’t mean we should instead stay home and stay up to date on Netflix. It means we should be appropriately prepared. Today’s episode is for both men and women because we all have a role to play in the conversation on sexual harassment and assault. When the #metoo campaign picked up steam with women sharing their stories, I noticed many men reacted with shock at the prevalence of abuse. Upon my own reflection, at first I thought I don’t have any stories, I have not been a victim of abuse, and then I remembered a few incidents, like the time I had to duck into a café on a late night walk home to my apartment because I was being stalked by a man who kept changing direction every time I changed direction. And that’s just one of a few I could share. I didn’t give those a thought at first because it’s become normalized. As a woman, we have to assess situations from a different perspective than men. That’s a reality that will hopefully one day go away with more conversation, listening, and action. So I’m happy to have Jordan on our episode today. I learned so much from him. We talk about the role men can play in the national conversation when it comes to awareness, empathy, and listening. Jordan will share with us his philosophy on self-defense (vs. martial arts) and the importance of empowering women rather than operating from a place of fear. About 35 minutes into it, he shares some physical tips for protecting yourself. I found myself standing up and practicing the moves. If you can, I suggest you do the same.    Other themes that came up in our conversation: Building a values-based business: Filling the gap between stating the values and living the values. Using fear as intuition to give us information on how to act. We tend to look outside ourselves to get help. We have so much power within ourselves. This applies in anything with life. Kelly’s story proves it. There are no rules when it comes to fighting for your life (vs. martial arts)   Resources mentioned: Seattle Runner Attacked Midrun Fought Like Hell to Defeat Her Offender The Gift of Fear (using fear as intuition to give us information on how to act)   Where to find Jordan: New site is coming out soon. For now: Fighting Chance Seattle Email: dojo@fightingchanceseattle.com Instagram: @KarateWithoutArmor Twitter: @BudoPunk   Continue the conversation at The Gear Show