(Photo provided) People participate in a past free self defense workshop. This year’s free event is slated from 2-5 p.m. June 14 at the Wetzel County Family Resource Network building, located 128 Main St., New Martinsville. To register, call 304-455-2468 or email eseckman@tccfwv.org.

A free self defense class for people of all ages and physical abilities is slated to be held June 14 in New Martinsville.

The workshop class will be held from 2-4 p.m. June 14 at the Wetzel County Family Resource Network building, located 128 Main St., New Martinsville.

The class will be taught by Teresa Richmond, a trainer with the Upper Ohio Valley Sexual Assault Help Center. The goal of the class is to empower people with self-defense skills and to teach people to control their own safety.

To register for the workshop, call Elizabeth Seckman, coordinator at the Wetzel County FRN, at 304-455-2468 or email her at eseckman@tccfwv.org.

“People will learn how to keep themselves safe from the very basics like understanding what sort of situations and behaviors may be dangerous to full-on how to respond if attacked,” Seckman said. “While they teach that avoidance of situations or fleeing a situation is always the best option, they also teach people how to deflect an attack and in the worst cases, how to physically protect yourself if attacked.”

She noted children who attend are given some special instruction.

“They stress the fact to young people that what they are about to learn is not to be used during play and not as offensive maneuvers, but as self-defense only,” she said. “SAHC is also very good at making sure both young and old are also given the information on where they can go for help if they have ever been the victim of an attack and where to go for counseling and information.”

Seckman said the class is open to everyone including men.

“Men have attended our previous classes and yes, it is for them too. SAHC teaches a wide range of ways to not only defend yourself, but to protect yourself by being aware of your surroundings and being observant to possible harm,” she said. “This class is for everyone because anyone can be in a situation where they may need to defend themselves.”

The SAHC is a private, non-profit rape crisis center that provides free help for survivors of sexual violence. It was established in 1978 and its service area includes Wetzel, Marshall, Brooke, Hancock and Ohio counties.

“The Upper Ohio Valley Sexual Assault Help Center’s mission is to ignite social change to end sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking. SAHC seeks to create pathways to healing for those with lived experiences and to cultivate an inclusive community through prevention education and equitable public policies,” according to the center’s website, https://www.sexualassaulthelpcenter.com/.