Just by looking at them, Lorraine Kreisler and her friends look like easy targets for robbers.
But if you ask Kreisler. She says they are “not the typical elderly ladies.”
After years of dancing, she believes their bodies are a lot stronger than most 70-year-olds.
It was strength that was put to the test weeks ago when Kreisler was attacked and robbed.
NewsChannel 3 spoke to Kreisler after it happened.
She was walking to the ATM at the Farm Fresh on Laskin Road near the Oceanfront when a man attacked her, stealing her purse in a packed parking lot.
Kreisler says, “He came out of nowhere and just ran up to me and punched me.”
Kreisler and her friends wanted to learn how to protect themselves, so we took action and set up a self-defense class with the Virginia Beach Police Department.
Officer Rudy Carrera was their instructor.
Carrera says the most important line of defense is situational awareness.
He says, “if you see a person walking your way, keep an eye on them. So he knows you see him , and when you walk by try to keep your distance.”
Something Kreisler says, she did not do, because she wasn’t paying attention before she was attacked.
Carrera says you need to get the attacker’s focus off of what they're trying to do.
It’s easy to do. Seventy-year-old ladies like Kreisler and her friends were able to pick it up without any problems.
And taking your attacker down isn’t that much harder if you apply pressure to the right places.
Even though these moves may not work all the time, Kreisler says it’s valuable training everyone should know.
She adds, “I think we all need a class like this just to get an insight as to what we can do to protect ourselves."
Now Kreisler and her girls can focus on doing what they love to do--not having to be scared of becoming a victim.
If you are interested in taking a self-defense class sponsored by the Virginia Beach Police Department, contact Leta Kriegler at (757) 385-1324.
