You will never guess who was throwing punches and kicks on Lodi Street in Syracuse this afternoon.
About 25 disabled and elderly participants were taught to use pens to poke people in the arm, prevent chokeholds, and hit people with their elbows to defend themselves.
Rudy Duncan is Director and Chief Instructor ofDuncan’s Martial Arts on Hiawatha Boulevard, and showed the elderly how to get people to stop in their tracks.
The event was a program to teach the elderly and those with disabilities the basics of self-defense and fitness. Duncan showed power chair user Steven Dotson Jr. how to defend himself from attack. Dotson was told to place his hands in the shape of a triangle to prevent being hit. Dotson was in the military for almost 18 years, and says the lessons are good for older people.
“People are out there like predators. They are going to look for whoever is weak. And if senior citizens like myself show that we will bite you back...it’s all good. Even knowing the basics is a lot better than knowing nothing at all”
Duncan says self-defense tactics are important for older people because they don’t require a lot of training. He says being aware of your surroundings is important in self-defense because it allows you to avoid a situation before you’re in danger.
“Awareness is really important for self-defense. The second thing is assessing if you’re in a situation that looks bad, instead of staying in that situation, remove yourself”
Duncan also recommends the elderly travel together to reduce the possibility of being attacked.