Newswise — A University of Kentucky anatomy professor and a UK police officer have developed a workshop designed to demonstrate why self-defense moves are effective in discouraging attackers.
Dr. Pam Stein, assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurology, worked with Officer Alan Saylor to develop the non-credit workshop, which they hope to offer at least once a semester. The first session was conducted in late November for several of Stein's anatomy students, but future sessions will be open to anyone.
In the workshop, Saylor demonstrates self-defense moves including strikes in the face, throat, groin and shin that can temporarily disable assailants and give potential victims time to escape.
Stein then shows the anatomical reasons the moves are effective, such as structural weaknesses in the nasal cavity, nerve connections from the testes to the abdominal region where the testes developed before birth, and the vulnerability of the tibia (shin bone) to a hard kick.
UK Police, like police departments at many universities across the country, regularly offers self-defense sessions to help female students fend off attacks. However, this marks the first occasion that an anatomy expert is working in campus self-defense programs to help students understand why the moves are effective.
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