Eyes, ears, nose. Those are three of the main targets when defending yourself. As in, hit those areas on the aggressor.

Those were the words of grandmaster Farshad Azad of Azad’s Martial Arts Center in Chico.

Farshad Azad of Azad’s Martial Arts Center in Chico instructs OLLI students. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

This fall I took my first self-defense class. It was offered through OLLI, so it was just one day and way too short.

It was definitely eye-opening. It’s probably something I should pursue further, to really have what he taught us to become engrained as second nature if I were ever to need it.

Azad figured we all know to go for the groin, so that was not stressed.

Boxing one’s ears would never have occurred to me.

Oh, and don’t forget to use your fingernails to scratch the bad person’s face. You just collected DNA. Do this in combo with targeting the eyes and/or nose.

He had us do some block maneuvers if someone were to take a swing at us. Taught us a couple ways to disengage if someone has a hold of us.

The instruction made it look so easy—at least in the moment. While I don’t remember everything I should and could do, I am left with the confidence I could fight back with some success.