Recent Monroe arrests spur self defense interest - KNOE 8 News; KNOE-TV; KNOE.com |

MONROE, LA. (KNOE 8 News) - Recent arrests in Monroe, including that of 34-year-old Terresz Robinson, wanted for two sexual assaults, one of them near ULM, has caused local martial arts schools like Tiger Rock Martial Arts to get an increase in calls from people asking for self-defense training.

Tiger Rock's Monroe location owner, Jason Wegener, said that's usually the case whenever there's a string of assaults or robberies within the City of Monroe.

Wegener said that in order to protect yourself, you don't need anything fancy, you just have to be aware of what's going on around you. It can start with not looking at your phone while walking. Wegener said that shows a potential attacker that you won't see them coming. You can also make sure there's nothing of value in your car or home on display for all to see.

"Be aware of your surroundings," Wegener said. "Look like somebody who knows where they're going and what they're doing. Confidence is the biggest thing. You can't stop somebody bad from doing something bad, but you can make yourself not the target."

If you'd like to see the self-defense classes that Tiger Rock of Monroe offers, you can give them a call at (318) 325-4754.

You can also check out their website at: http://tigerrocklouisiana.com/

EXERCISE TIPS:

-You can do a fitness exercise while also preparing yourself for self-defense. It starts by taking a punching bag and grabbing it with your hands at the 11:00 posting, then pull it toward you while bringing your right knee up at about a 60-degree upward angle, striking the bag. You can then follow it up with a left elbow strike against the bag. This workout targets your ribs.