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Central Texas Women Fight Back Against Sexual Assaults


Central Texas women are fighting back against sexual assaults with a method called Krav Maga.

Austin Self Defense teaches seminars throughout the year.

"A lot of the women who come to the women's self-defense classes have already been attacked," said instructor Bart Brooks.

Brooks says the counter attacks were developed decades ago in Israel.

"There was a serial rapist loose in Israel. And it got so bad the women were afraid to go out at night," said Brooks.

Women are learning moves that ward of an attacker grabbing you from behind, choking you or on top of you. Brooks tells us anyone can do it.

Lieutenant Justin Newsom with the Austin Police Department says there have been 36 sexual assaults this year. It's rare, he says, that the suspect is a total stranger.

"In the last ten months there have been 10 stranger sexual assaults. Six of those we filed charges on," Newsom said.

His advice? Be aware of your surrounding and be careful with alcohol.

"Even though Austin is one of the safest cities in the country you can't be complacent and think that you are always going to make it home safely if you are stumbling down the street intoxicated," Newsom said.

Brooks hope is that more women and men prepare, so they can fight back.

"I have gotten a lot of letters from woman saying thank you for giving me my night's back. Thank you for giving me my life back," said Brooks.

For more information on Krav Maga go to http://www.austinselfdefense.com.

By Christie Post