UW-Whitewater residence hall hosts women’s self defense night
Released: April 11, 2002
On Thursday, May 2, a campus residence hall group will sponsor a women’s self-defense seminar in the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s University Center room 219 at 8 p.m.
Bonnie Thiel, a fourth-degree black belt, and her husband Ronald Thiel, a third- degree black belt, will demonstrate self-defense moves designed especially for women.
The seminar will demonstrate kicks, strikes, how to get out of holds and blocks and ground fighting. There will also be an informative session with tips regarding how to keep safe, information about self-defense classes and a question and answer period.
“It will forever change your life and the way you think about self defense,” said Bonnie Thiel, who designed a program called Women Initiating Safe Environments (WISE). “It’s one thing to think you can defend yourself and another to know you can defend yourself.”
Bonnie’s work in self defense was recognized when she was awarded “Black Belt Woman of the Year.” She has 17 years of martial arts training. Ronald has had 10 years of martial arts training and has won numerous awards for weapons, forms and sparring competitions.
One in six female college students will be assaulted before they leave college and one in three women will be assaulted in their lifetime, according to statistics provided by WISE.
For information contact Kate Shultz, resident assistant of Lee Hall at (262) 472-3053. The event is free and open to the public.
- Dena Rindy ,npa@uww.edu
