Starting this year, Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) Student Nurses Association (SNA) started offering self-defense classes for all students, with a focus on nursing students. 

SNA is an association that helps Mavs in the pre-nursing and nursing majors find jobs and provides help with classes and internships. They hold workshops that are open to all nursing majors, the most recent being the new self-defense class. 

“In situations with multiple different types of patients that have mental problems, mental health issues, or physical issues, […] we just want to be aware of never putting ourselves [in a] situation of jeopardy,” President of the SNA Brooke Potts said.. 

Potts wants not only nursing students, but all women on campus to learn the importance of self-defense before they are faced with real danger. However, she thinks that it is particularly important for nurses who will have to deal with all types of patients in the real world. 

“Anyone in general [should] learn self-defense–especially college students; especially women because [real life] situations just never teach today,” said Potts. 

The class was led by Jasmine Vanderpool, the co-owner of the Martial Arts Research Systems of Colorado. SNA hired her to teach the basic levels of self-defense. The studio focuses on teaching kickboxing, Muay Thai, Juin Gongi Keto and jujitsu. 

“So we’re working on verbal judo, which is being able to throw people with your words–being assertive, or cocking yourself out of a situation, is what Verbal Judo is about,” said Vanderpool. 

After a couple of meetings, the class will progress to teaching more physical self-defense moves. For now, it’s all about learning to de-escalate the situation.