Upskilling yourself is never a bad idea, especially when it comes to safety, members of the Oakdale Watch are proving.
Any neighbourhood watch member can tell you their main job is to be the “eyes and ears” of the police. But what do you do if you’re attacked while patrolling?
“Our patrollers reported a marked increase in encounters with people who are becoming more and more aggressive towards them,” explains Johan Fritz, chair of the watch.
“It was then decided to empower these patrollers with self-defense skills. We have a responsibility towards them and cannot expect them to risk their lives to keep our neighbourhood safe.”
Three of their members, all currently on the executive committee, completed the course years ago, but wanted to refresh their skills.
JP Muller at C.O.B.R.A. Self Defense Systems in Brackenfell trained the members over a 10-week period, every Friday.
“It entailed vigorous training in a lot of different real-life scenarios. It included close quarter combat techniques, groundwork, knife attacks and firearm attacks. Although the patrollers do not normally engage in close encounters, they were trained to be aware. These skills also empower them in their private life.”
The graduation test took place on Friday 18 November.
Fritz says they plan to send more patrollers on the course as funds become available.
“We are planning some fundraising initiatives.”
