‘It is important to be prepared’: SUU students learn self-defense techniques from MMA experts

CEDAR CITY — Dozens of university students recently participated in a free class designed to teach a variety of self-defense strategies and moves.

Empire MMA and Fitness staff members conduct a free self-defense class for Southern Utah University students, Cedar City, Utah, Oct. 6, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The hourlong event was held on the football field at Southern Utah University’s Coliseum, enabling the approximately 60 participants to socially distance themselves around the turf.

Instructor Michael Hoag called the event “truly inspiring” and said he and his cohorts from Empire MMA and Fitness were pleased to have “such a wonderful turnout of young active students and student athletes concerned about their safety and how to properly defend themselves.” 

Hoag and the members of his Empire team demonstrated several basic moves designed to incapacitate a would-be attacker, including those involving elbows, knees, palm strikes, eye gouging and groin strikes. 

All too often, Hoag said, a person’s “fight or flight” defense mechanism “literally turns into run fast and bury your head in the sand, hoping the threat goes away.”

To overcome one’s tendency to freeze up in such situations, Hoag said the key is to practice the moves repeatedly so that the response becomes almost automatic.

Asia Negron shows how to thwart a choking move as Empire MMA and Fitness staff members conduct a free self-defense class for Southern Utah University students, Cedar City, Utah, Oct. 6, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“Simulating attack with a combative response allows cognitive conditioning and adrenaline stress to take over instead of fear,” he said.

The students were taught to aim for soft spots, such as the groin, eyes and throat, and to use the element of surprise to their advantage.

Hoag said he believes the participants emerged more confident and empowered. 

“I would very much like to see this continued not only at SUU but at other universities,” he said. “I truly believe all schools, universities and institutions of higher learning should offer self defense as a credit curriculum. To go even further, all grade schools should teach martial arts as part of its education, including ‘stranger danger’ in preschool.”

Empire MMA, located in Cedar City, offers specialized training in various martial arts disciplines, including muay thai, jiu jitsu and krav maga. Discounts are given to SUU students.

“We encourage every single college student, regardless of gender, to learn self defense,” Hoag said, “This is an increasingly violent world, and it is important to be prepared.”

Hoag said the Oct. 6 self defense class was “very well-received” and that he and the rest of his staff at Empire MMA are looking forward to working with SUU again in the near future. 

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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