Hypervigilance and situational awareness are just two of the points instructors offered to women and girls in a self-defense class at the Multi Agency Academic Cooperative on a recent Friday evening in Valparaiso.

“Fight Like a Girl,” organizers said, gives women and girls the tools they need to avoid safety threats and respond to them when necessary.

“Unfortunately, statistics continue to show that women and girls face a higher risk of violence and harassment,” said Celina Weatherwax, president and CEO of the MAAC Foundation. “By equipping them with the skills to recognize, avoid, and respond to threats, we’re doing more than teaching self-defense, we’re investing in their safety, independence, and long-term resilience.”

Nancy Rosenkranz knows that danger all too well as she is a survivor of not one, but three attempts of abduction and assault that could have altered her life. Rosenkranz attended last Friday’s program at the MAAC with her daughter, Melissa Wheeler, and granddaughter, Riley Wheeler, all of La Crosse.

“When I was in eighth grade, now this is 70 years ago,” said Rosenkranz. “My brother forgot to pick me up at the school after the ball game so I started to walk home. I was at the corner by the stoplight in La Crosse waiting to cross the street when I saw him.”

Rosenkranz was referring to an older man in a car who pulled up near her and started looking around to make sure nobody else was watching, and then he went around the block.

“I knew what he was doing,” said Rosenkranz. “And I knew I was in trouble.”

Rosenkranz hurried to the payphone to call her mother. “I’m at Firestone and there’s someone after me,” was all she had time to say when the man came back around and the phone booth doorway with his car so she could not get out.

“He came into the booth and came after me, and he ripped my blouse,” said Rosenkranz.

“Luckily my mom came down the road in the car and scared him off before it was too late,” said Rosenkranz. “But I can tell you exactly what he looked like to this day.”

Rosenkranz, who was a school bus driver for La Crosse schools for 30 years, also encountered two men at Walmart trying to break into her bus, and even as she pulled away they hung on.

“They had their fingers in the door jamb of the bus and they were running along beside it,” said Rosenkranz. “Finally they stopped, but I knew they were going to rob me or worse.”

A third instance was when Rosenkranz was driving to Missouri to an Army base to pick up her husband and she stopped at a truck stop to use the restroom.

“I saw a man and he just made my skin crawl,” said Rosenkranz. “My mom had always told me that when she was going base to base following my dad in the Army, he said that if you got into trouble, to find a trucker to help you, so I did.”

“The trucker walked me out to my car, and was not comfortable letting me leave, but I did, and sure enough, that other man followed me in his car for almost 30 miles,” said Rosenkranz.

“My mom always said if something tells you it’s not right, it’s not right.”

Rosenkranz registered herself, her daughter and her granddaughter for the program, and had been talking to many others about joining a class.

“The is so needed in our community. Look what happened to me in my little town.”

“Fight Like a Girl” instructors are active with the Hammond Police Department and led a short presentation and question and answer session before starting to teach stances and hits.

Instructor and Hammond Police Department Master Sgt. David DeBoer asked the group of 35 women where they felt unsafe. Many answered gas stations.

“There is no reason for you to be alone at a gas station at night,” said DeBoer. “Eliminate the risk and get the gas in the morning.”

Gas stations are where auto thefts, robberies and abductions can occur.

“What’s the first thing you do when you get in the car?” asked DeBoer.

“We look down at our phones. Don’t do that. Get in your car, put your phone down, and go.”

“I am not going to risk my life over a car that I have insurance on,” said DeBoer. “But if my kids are in the car, I cannot just give you my car.”

“I have to be hypervigilant at those times,” said DeBoer. “I cannot be in the car waiting to be attacked but I am going to look around and make sure I am aware of my surroundings because I cannot let you take my car if my kids are in it.”

“When you are pumping gas, you are taking attention off of what is going on behind you when you are using your credit card,” said Sgt. Dan Mohoi. “So I choose to at least take a second to look behind me and around me while I am using my card.”

Kim McWhirter, of Valparaiso, took Friday night’s class with friends. McWhirter shared with the class that when she and her husband go to the gas station with their son, it makes her nervous and she locks the door when her husband gets out of the car to pump the gas.

“I am learning more situational awareness, and to be more aware of what is going on around me,” said McWhirter.

The group moved into the large area of the MAAC center to learn the casual stance, warning stance and defense stance.

“We are the only species that will put ourselves in danger to make other people feel good,” said DeBoer. “Don’t worry about making someone feel uncomfortable. If you don’t want to get in an elevator with someone, you shouldn’t.”

“I want you to look around, notice what is out of place,” said DeBoer. “Always have your head on the swivel.”

Under careful supervision, class participants then learned kicks and punches with the officers.

“Offering self-defense classes for women and girls at the MAAC is important to our community outreach,” Weatherwax said. “Over the years, we’ve been proud to train hundreds of participants, providing them not only with practical self-protection techniques but also with increased confidence, heightened situational awareness, and a proactive mindset.”

For more information, go to maacfoundation.org.

Deena Butterfield is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.