Thanks to the hard work of a group of dedicated students, Two Rivers School District hosted a free self-defense class. The class was put together by Aubrey Polich, McKenna Meyer, and Ariana Zimney, all juniors at Two Rivers High School who are competing in an event through Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) called Partnership with a Business. Aubrey thought of the idea of a self-defense class after talking with a teacher who shared a concern for her safety after being followed while out walking alone. The girls reached out to Officer Zipperer, the Two Rivers High School Resource Officer, who then communicated with officers at TRPD. Kelly Gennrich, a former officer at TRPD, was one of the officers who volunteered. He has experience in self-defense and martial arts.
The class was held on Saturday, January 26 at LB Clarke Middle School and had 37 attendees. While the girls originally thought only their peers would attend the event, they had people from 8 years old to 60 years old come to the class. Officer Kelly Gennrich, Officer Megan Klumpyan, and Officer Jason Zipperer were all instructors. The class started with learning basic strikes, how to protect yourself when someone tries to hit you, and how to punch correctly and effectively. They then moved onto more scenarios like what to do if someone grabs you by the hair or wrists. Lisa Koch attended the class and noted it “was very informative, and the instructors moved around to be of assistance and to answer any questions. I also learned the laws involved when an assault occurs. I’ve wanted to take a class like this for a while, so I’m very grateful to our FBLA group here at the high school and our police department for organizing this important event.” Jessica Otte, who also attended the event, added, “I thought the class was a great opportunity to learn some basic self-defense skills. FBLA and the TRPD did an excellent job putting it together and teaching it in an entertaining and informative way. I am hoping that there will be more classes offered for beginners and for those who want a refresher course.”
Aubrey, McKenna, and Arianna are hoping to host the self-defense class again next year as the prevalence of sex trafficking in the area is unfortunately growing. Additionally, the girls created and sold t-shirts for the event. All money raised from the t-shirt sales went to supporting the Two Rivers Police Department. The girls will present their event during the FBLA competition in April and are hoping to make it to nationals in June.
