ACQUAINTANCE ASSAULT CRIMES ARE A REALITY

STAY SAFE WITH AN IN DEPTH SELF DEFENSE COURSE 

Released August 26, 2010

OAK RIDGE, TN – Father and son business owners Bruce and David Corrigan, founders of Progressive Martial Arts Academy (PMA) in Oak Ridge, encourage the community to be aware of acquaintance assault crimes by offering a “free” self-defense course for women entitled Escape to Gain Safety.

The Escape to Gain Safety course arrives following a rise in aggravated assault in the state of Tennessee.   According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, Knoxville saw a four percent increase of aggravated assault in 2009, and The National Center for Victims of Crime reports that 77% of completed sexual assaults are committed by acquaintances.

Data provided by The Adult Sex Abuse Unit in Nashville, TN reveals that the most prevalent time that rapes have been reported to occur are between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. This is also the time friends and acquaintances will most likely gather to mingle following the day’s events. The increasingly high level of assault crimes in Tennessee may cause people to avoid otherwise normal outdoor activities. “Assault crimes compromise the physical safety and psychological well-being of people. It is important for the community to take the necessary precautions required to stay safe and avoid unnecessary stress,” commented David Corrigan.

Through the two day Escape to Gain Safety workshop, women of all ages are provided with in depth self-defense instruction that enable them to thwart potential attackers, as well as awareness techniques and mental preparation. “Statistics are one thing, but actually being confronted by an attacker is something completely different,” shared Bruce Corrigan. “This course is all about providing women with self-defense concepts and understandings that can keep people safe.”

PMA’s Escape to Gain Safety course is free and open to the public. Registration is required and a $50 deposit is necessary to ensure that the limited spaces available are not abused. This two day course is limited to 12 participants, and the $50 deposit will be returned to participants at the end of the second day only. The course includes: mental preparedness, danger avoidance, predator and prey mindset, the psychology of a street fight, and more! “Keeping the community safe is important to us. This course is one way we can do that.” Register online by visiting pmaoakridge.eventbrite.com or calling (865) 481-8901.

Progressive Martial Arts Academy (PMA) focuses on self-defense, fitness training and psychological balance and contentment through the study of martial arts. PMA blends tradition with a fresh approach to training for clients 18 years and older.

For additional information on Progressive Martial Arts Academy, visit www.pmaoakridge.com or call (865) 481-8901.

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