Common Sense Self-Defense

Michael Rosen is the instructor for this excellent lecture/demonstration on safety awareness for children. Actually, only the final five minutes of the tape are devoted to what we would normally think of as self-defense (Rosen and his young charges demonstrate a handful of defensive "escape" moves). The opening 35 minutes feature Rosen talking to a group of students, and imparting some very practical and beneficial information about dealing with strangers. He emphasizes that the "voice" is the child's most powerful weapon; and cautions kids to avoid dangerous places to play, such as the park (never at night, and never when alone), the woods, abandoned houses, the mall, etc. While very serious, Rosen also uses a lot of humor and has an excellent rapport with his audience. He doesn't condescend to the kids, nor does he try to scare them. He tells them what they need to know in their language and covers both general techniques (use the buddy system) and specific things to remember (you don't need money to dial 911). An excellent program which may not be as flashy as similar fare (like HBO Video's How To Raise a Street-Smart Child) but offers just as good information. Highly recommended. (Available from: SP Productions, 8205 E. Martin Way, Dept. R-180, Olympia, WA 98506; (800) 755-5284.)