Like any good teacher, Nina Haft wants to give her students enough information, so that they are wise enough to make good choices.

The choice may be kicking an attacker in the groin, running or smooth-talking their way out of danger. With a serial rapist loose in the East Bay, Haft, who teaches the quarterly women’s self-defense classes sponsored by the UCSF Rape Prevention Education Program, has been sought for her expertise. A first degree-black belt in Kung Fu and a rape crisis counselor, she recently has been interviewed by media and asked by groups, including UCSF departments, to conduct special sessions.

Like in the six-hour class attended by 16 women at UCSF last Saturday, Haft teaches physical defense and escape methods, such as groundfighting and how to immobilize even large attackers. Her emphasis, however, is teaching women how to judge a situation, so they can choose a strategy that will minimize any harm to them. Choosing to cooperate with an attacker, for example, could be a good and safer strategy in some situations, she says.

Her classes focus on streetwise safety and prevention, as well as how to physically escape and hurt an attacker. She offers such common advice as traveling with companions in well-lit areas and acting confident at all times. She also urges women to trust their instincts when they sense an uneasy or dangerous situation. “Avoid an area or be prepared to run, scream or call for help if you have to,” she says. “It’s being cautious, not paranoid.”

Haft will conduct a self-defense class for young women, ages 13-18, on Saturday, Sept. 27, 1:30-5:30 p.m., at the Millberry Fitness Center. In addition to physical techniques, she will cover issues, such as peer violence and date rape, confronting teens today. The cost is $25 for those affiliated with UCSF and $40 for the general public. Another self-defense class for women of all ages will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at Millberry. The cost is $40 for UCSF affiliates and $65 for the general public. The classes are sponsored by the UCSF Rape Prevention Education Program. For information and to pre-register, call 476-5222.

The program also conducts informational sessions and self-defense classes for UCSF departments. To arrange those special sessions, call Danielle Tillman, rape prevention education coordinator and special events coordinator at the Women’s Resource Center, at 476-5223.

By Andy Evangelista

1st appeared 8/27/97