Self defence – a terrifying reality for former Griffith Aikido member

A few days ago we received this email from one of our former members.

Last night myself and my housemate got attacked in our back yard by two guys we had never met before. They were hiding next to the house and ambushed us. They were big guys and under the influence of drugs.

They roughed us up, cleared out our house and planned to sexually assault us. Thank God I had some basic self defence training or things could have gone very very badly.

Having a self defence plan kept me calm and thinking clearly, enough to recognise an opportunity to escape and get help. In the end my flatmate and myself ended up with only scratches, bumps and bruises.

Because part of the self defence training was to be aware and remember as much as possible, I was able to give a very clear and detailed statement to the police. Both of the guys were caught by the police, and with the large amount of evidence, they expect it to be an easy conviction for robbery with assault.

I only did basic level self defence at Griffith Aikido, but it was enough training to stop a dangerous situation from escalating into a deadly situation. I can’t thank you enough.

Much love

-Gina

This terrifying attack took place only last week. Below is a related newspaper article based on information provided by the police:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/duo-went-on-assault-and-crime-spree-police-20110325-1c8y6.html

Editor’s Note: Gina kindly allowed us to publish her story on our website so that others could appreciate the value of basic self defence training. We congratulate Gina on her extraordinary courage, calmness and presence of mind in this life threatening situation.