Women’s Safety Clinic
March 31, 2017
The Portsmouth Police Department in Community Partnership with Cindy Naiditch of Steve DeMasco’s Shaolin Studios, held their first Women’s Safety Clinic this past Wednesday night.
The clinic was well received, and ran from 6:00PM until 9:00PM. 32 women, ranging from ages 20 to 75 years old, were in attendance. Opening remarks were given by Portsmouth Police Chief, David Mara who thanked the women for their participation, and emphasized that the clinic was a continuation of the department’s efforts to connect with the public through Community Policing. He also said that he hopes to make the Women’s Safety Clinic a bi-annual event.
Chief Instructor (and owner of Shaolin Studios) Cindy Naiditch, commended the group for attending, and wanting to learn ways to defend themselves. Instructor Naiditch is a 4th degree black belt who has been studying martial arts for over 20 years, including training in Shaolin, China.
Instructor Naiditch also reiterated to the students that proficiency in self-defense, comes with training on a regular basis. She encouraged them to practice what they learn on their own, and to seek out additional training.
Assistant Instructor, Officer Christina Meyer, who has been a police officer for 17 years, shared with the group that learning self-defense tactics did not come easy to her at first. But became more comfortable with continued training and practice.
Asst. Instructor, PHS Resource Officer, Detective Robert Munson, was brave, and volunteered to wear the “RedMan” suit, so that the students could practice what they learned on him.
Community Police Officer Rochelle Navelski coordinated the event, and taught the attendees about Personal Safety, Home Security, ATM Safety, Automobile Safety, and Domestic Violence through a power point presentation in a classroom environment.
Instructor Naiditch, with assistance from Det. Munson, and Ofc. Meyer taught the hands on self-defense methods including: Awareness Drills, Kicks and Punches, Release from Grabs & Holds, and Defense from Knives and Clubs.
The last portion of the training included the entire group watching a motivational video about female jogger who was brutally attacked by a registered sex offender. She was able to fight off the assailant, and contain him until police arrived, using tactics she learned in a self-defense class that she had taken three weeks prior.
The next Women’s Safety Clinic date is to be determined. If anyone interested in taking private or group self-defense lessons, they can contact Cindy Naiditch at (603) 828-6848 or sdssportsmouth@aol.com.
Courtesy photographs provided by Portsmouth Police Department and class participant, Rachel Henderson.