One local company is teaching self-defense tactics to incoming freshmen at Eckerd College. It’s part of an orientation seminar at the school.
Brian Anderson Needham is the owner of Weapon Brand.
“We’re giving them that confidence that they are able to defend themselves,” Needham said.
We spoke to several freshmen taking the class. They admitted they are scared of living on their own and away from family for the first time.
“Especially just being girls walking around at night is terrifying for anyone in general,” Madison Prois said.
Prois is a freshman at Eckerd and moved in just three weeks ago.
Needham said he is teaching this group of students key self defense tactics so they can walk away with a new sense of confidence.
“That’s where the real reward comes in because you’re able to see that shift of, ‘I’m able to do this. I can walk around with a little more confidence and take care of myself,’” Needham said.
Eckerd College sent ABC Action News a statement saying, “Participating in this self-defense workshop allows the students to not only connect what they are learning in the classroom
in a practical application setting, but also to have more ‘tools in their toolkit’ to be able to handle a potentially threatening situation.”