ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – It’s one of the longest-running self-defense classes in Central Florida taught by police, and it’s also one of the most popular programs at the Ormond Beach Police Department.
It’s called S.L.A.P. which stands for Self defense for Ladies and Assault Prevention.
Ormond Beach Police Department Sgt. Jay Brennan, a martial arts experts, invented S.L.A.P. to teach women exclusively not to become ninjas but to become more prepared.
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“It felt like it was a responsibility and we had the opportunity to give it to our citizens,” Brennan said. “I’m a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and I practice some other martial arts.”
The police department has never charged a dime for the program and Brennan said it never will.
“It’s an introduction to self-defense,” Brennan said. “A lot of it is education and crime prevention techniques and strategies to prevent it from even getting there. But if it gets there then you’ll be a little bit more prepared. The things I want to teach are easy to remember so if after all the education, the crime prevention, all of that, you did all of that and still ended up in situation, you don’t have to think about it, it’s just going to happen.”
The first move he teaches in the class is a strike to the face using the palm heel of the hand.
“The next one would be a strike with a forearm,” Brennan said.
Brennan also teaches how to use a knee to strike to the lower body.
“It’s a last-ditch effort to try and get away if you couldn’t get away before,” Brennan said. “And we know that continuous practice of any technique is the best best method of retaining that technique. So this is just really getting them in the mindset of things do happen.”
Sgt. Brennan has taught hundreds of women since 2016 from high school athletes to church groups.
Is it realistic for someone to take what they learn in S.L.A.P. in two hours and apply it to a life-threatening situation?
“100%,” Brennan said. “I think that if you are uneducated in anything and you learn some specific details or strategies to prepare yourself a little bit more then you would be a little bit more prepared than you were before.”
Ormond Beach Police Department Victim Advocate Courtney Fraine said she feels better prepared after taking the class.
“I think it’s a great training, it definitely gives women a sense of empowerment and makes them feel more confident,” Fraine said. “I am dealing with victims of crime, most of them are violent, we’re talking about assault and battery and sexual assault where they’re attacking your body. And this is something that teaches you to defend your person.”
S.L.A.P. is by request,so if you or your group would like to arrange a class, contact the Ormond Beach Police Department at PDOutreach@ormondbeach.org.
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