Erin Weed, founder of Girls Fight Back!, shows self-defense techniques on IFC President Lucas Artaiz
on Wednesday night in Tech’s Ryan Family Auditorium. Sean Collins Walsh/The Daily Northwestern
“Walk confidently,” “either fight or run” and “avoid giving out too much information” were just some of the pieces of advice Erin Weed offered to an audience of about 30 Northwestern women at the Technological Institute’s Ryan Family Auditorium on Wednesday night.
The Schaumburg native is the founder of Girls Fight Back!, which seeks to empower women through self-defense education. She started the organization after her friend and Alpha Phi sorority sister at Eastern Illinois University, Shannon McNamara, was murdered in 2001.
“It was one of those moments where I realized violence is such a problem, and all of us need the tools to fight back,” Weed said.
Girls Fight Back! uses live seminars, books and DVDs to help spread its message.
“It’s not necessary to be a black belt to save your own life,” wrote Weed on the company’s Web site. “We believe anyone can become their own best protector and that fighting like a girl is actually a very good thing!”
The event focused around a three-step formula for effective self-defense. Weed identified trusting one’s intuition, living life as a “bad victim” or a “hard target” and learning to fight as essential self-defense tactics.
Intuition, which Weed defined as “knowing something without knowing why,” should be trusted immediately.
“We, as humans, pound intuition to death with logic and talk ourselves out of it,” Weed said.
By trusting their intuition, Weed said women can prevent themselves from entering dangerous situations.
Weed illustrated her third step – learning to fight – through a demonstration on Interfraternity Council President Lucas Artaiz, a SESP junior. She introduced her “Two Ts” of safety: asking, “Where are his targets?” and “What are my tools?”
She emphasized that women should not attack to cause pain, because pain brings adrenaline and makes the attacker stronger. Injuries should disable much more than they should cause pain.
The night ended with Weed using Artaiz to demonstrate her three fighting moves to use when confronted by an attacker, what she called the “bad-ass ballet.” The “ballet” consisted of a palm strike to the face, then a knee to the groin and finally, a “choose your own adventure” finale of either an elbow to the back or a knee to the face.
Among the audience members in attendance was Kalee Danussi, who attended because she is the chairwoman of her sorority’s Empower group.
“As women we definitely need to make sure we can take care of ourselves and not rely on someone else,” the Weinberg freshman said. “I feel like the more information we have, the more empowered we can become.”
The audience reacted positively to Weed’s presentation.
“She taught very simple things that were easy to learn and easy to remember and wouldn’t fly out of your mind if something happened to you,” Weinberg junior Sarah Moser said.
The event was held in conjunction with Take Back the Night, an international event hosted by College Feminists to educate, raise awareness and prevent sexual assault. Take Back the Night will begin today at 6:30 p.m. with a barbecue in the sorority quads, to be followed by a march through campus.
