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Central Coast Martial Arts Instructor Encourages Self-Defense Classes

Tamara Hansen said taking martial arts “has really given [her] the confidence to know that if something did happen [she] would have a few little steps to get [herself] out of the situation.”

Hansen is a student at Fresno State University. She has been taking self-defense classes at Santa Maria Martial Arts since her freshmen year and college.

Hansen wanted to be prepared to protect herself when she left home for school. She told KCOY 12’s Cory James that “a lot of times when people are attacked [they] just freeze up and don’t know what to do.”

Chris Ruiz, Hansen’s instructor, started martial arts when he was 8 years old.

Ruiz said since opening in 2010 more women have been signing up for his self-defense courses.

“When somebody fights back, usually not all the time, but usually that kind of scares them off,” said Ruiz.

Ruiz said his classes are designed for self-assurance so that anyone in a physical confrontation is capable to taking care of themselves.

“Is it going to work 100 percent of the time? No, it will not,” said Ruiz. “But it’ll just give them the confidence to change the way how they present themselves, how they walk, and even how they talk in public so that they don’t make themselves an easy target.”

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