Going Off To College? Think "Street Defense"

Empire State Karate Starts Innovative Program for High School and College Bound Students

By Taylor Fleming

Beginning on July 19^th, Empire State Karate of Smithtown is offering “Street Defense,” a five-week seminar for high school and college bound students. Empire State Karate, which will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, offers children and adult martial arts programs as well as kickboxing fitness and mixed martial arts courses. 

Sensei Troy, who has taught at Empire State Karate for over ten years, said, “[‘Street Defense’] is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time.” Troy said he and Hanshi Joyce Santamaria, the first ever female blackbelt, often discussed the high school and college bound age group. He described college bound students as “adults but not quite adult” who are in need of training in “not combat but awareness.” The two also conferred about the horror stories they had heard about, or, as Troy said, “when it went wrong” in a college environment.

One such story came to the surface following the submission of a letter from then Amherst College student Angie Epifano to “The Amherst Student” independent newspaper. In her letter, Epifano revealed that another student had raped her in the spring of her freshman year. “I had always fancied myself a strong, no-nonsense woman…” wrote Epifano. “May 25^th temporarily shattered that self-image and left me feeling like the broken victim that I had never wanted to be.” In her letter, she discussed the lack of support she received from the school and her fellow students. Eventually, she left Amherst. Recently, more and more stories like Epifano have surfaced in the media. Over the past year, the Office for Civil Rights has received 38 complaints against colleges, universities and postsecondary schools across the country, related to sexual harassment.

Sensei Troy said that “Street Defense” is aimed at teaching students, “how to see a bad situation…and how to get out of it.” He has created a comprehensive plan, which addresses the key issues involved with incidents of harassment and violence, not unlike Epifano’s encounter.  The first week focuses on awareness, avoidance and evasion. After consulting with several lawyers, Sensei Troy has developed a plan for teaching legal jargon and “keep[ing] the law on your side,” as sexual harassment on campus is now being seen and prosecuted as a federal crime in many schools nationally. For the second week, the instructors plan on hosting a drug and addiction specialist and discussing fitness, nutrition and saying “no.” The third week will work on building student confidence and teaching them safety in any environment. In the fourth week, students will foster an effective attitude and learn escape techniques. Finally, the fifth week will recap the entire course and test students in a live action final exam. 

As a parent, Sensei Troy thinks a major concern is “how…we protect our kids when they go off to college.” HeStreet Defense program begins in Julybelieves this program will help reassure parents that their children are prepared for college life. His students will gain confidence and knowledge as well as skills and techniques. “They have to know this to come home safe to us,” said Sensei Troy. “We want them to have fun, get the most of out of it, but we want them to be aware.” 

Recently, assault on college campuses has become a more prevalent topic of discussion and an explosion of activism has occurred in numerous schools, such as Occidental College, Swarthmore College, Wesleyan University and Yale University. Sensei Troy’s program, however, works not only to address the incidents that have already happened but also to prepare and educate students on preventive measures. Combining techniques from other Empire State Karate classes while targeting the lessons towards students in high school or heading to college, Sensei Troy believes this program will build the confidence and awareness necessary to guard them against the potential dangers surrounding a new, often challenging environment. “I’m around these kids so much,” he said. “I see the changes in them.” The confidence karate grants his students, said Sensei Troy is, “unmatched by any other activity.”

The five-week seminar will run Fridays from 7-8pm from July 19^th to August 16^th. To register, students and parent can call (631) 265-1555 or drop in to 86 Terry Road in Smithtown. More information is available at www.empirestatekarate.com or on Empire State Karate’s Facebook page.