Experts to teach Youth Self Defense, Safety Awareness

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MANNING - Having an awareness of your surroundings, avoiding dangerous situations or areas and having the ability to safely defend yourself should the need arise are keys to protecting children and youngsters.

From 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the F.E. DuBose Career Center, the center's law enforcement students are hosting a Youth Self Defense and Safety Awareness Training that is being taught by officers with the Manning Police Department and the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office.

"We hear a lot of negativity in our community which leaves parents and students feeling unprotected," Ladell Grice, law enforcement services instructor, said. "The purpose of this training is to help our students build confidence in protecting themselves."

The free training program is being offered to students, ages 5 to 16.

"Parents nor students ever plan to be attacked, but attackers are always prepared with a plan," Grice added. "The safety awareness and self-defense training is being conducted in conjunction with trainers from the Manning Police Department and the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office to help our children improve their safety awareness with hands-on techniques on how to respond if they are ever attacked."

The program will focus on awareness for the younger children, said Lt. Sean Briley with the Manning Police Department, one of the officers participating in the program.

"At an early age, children need to be able to recognize dangers and the signs of potential dangers," Briley added.

For the older children, the focus will not only be on overall awareness, but also on protecting themselves, how to avoid dangers, denying an attacker access and how to properly defend themselves.

"Part of this program is also about building a relationship with the children and students," Briley added. "We are the good guys. We want children to know that if they are in danger they can come to us. We are here to help them always."

Grice said that self-defense and safety awareness programs are important for everyone, particularly those who are most vulnerable, youngsters between the ages of 5 to 16.

"Being prepared and knowing how to respond during an attack is the key to survival," stressed Grice.

Helping protect children is paramount in today's society, Grice and Briley agreed.

To reserve a spot in the training session, contact Ladell Grice at gricelc@cctech.edu, (803) 473-2531 Extension 628 or by logging onto https://bit.ly/2B22DdE.