Monday, slept late, totally decadent, it's a work day and here I am, lounging around until 6.30am in my pit. Reason being, I'm on a personal safety training course today and I don't need to leave home until around 8am.
The course is going to be pretty physical and you have to wear leggings, joggers or some such like. I dig out my leggings. I haven't worn leggings for about 3 years which was the last time I went to a Pilate's class. I forgot how naked you feel in them, so I then spend 10 extra minutes trying to find a t-shirt long enough so that I don't feel like I'm parading everything I have to the world. So I'm late leaving but after some hairy moments, I find the place with the help of my sat nav and sexy Sean, the calming Irish voice who talks me through the journey. I arrive on time, just about, at the army barracks, drive through the gates and so the day really begins.
We have three trainers, all are from the division I work for but some are ex-army. It's quite scary, I can't remember ever raising my voice... to anyone, I am a quiet person and loud is not in my nature, nor is pummelling seven bells out of anyone, yet, for this, and to protect myself in the future, I need to be loud and potentially... strike.
We are talked through various scenarios and we do of course have to participate.
Day One and after a lecture and some physical training, of the trainers has me put him in a straight arm lock. I think I have the correct positioning, he is bent over as if in the correct position. "What is this called?" The trainer asks me and I rack my brains for the right answer, is it a straight arm lock? A locked arm bar? "This is nothing, is it?" "No" I reply. I am pretty rubbish.
I have needed to defend myself before now, but at the time, I had no clue. Now, I'm asked to be the instigator of force, and well, we know that it's just not me. Maybe with one to one training for a few days I would get it down, but I can't see that it's going to happen.
I get home and throw everything I have worn on Monday and remnants of Sunday's wardrobe in the wash and hang it out on the line when it's done, hoping that whatever hot air remains, will stick around long enough to 80% dry the washing, should I want to wear it again tomorrow.
I venture into the garden to approach the washing line and I peak around the bend to wonder at the wilderness that is my garden. With the almost incessant rain and some sunshine, all things garden have had growth spurt after growth spurt. The left hand side of the garden looks wild, but pretty, but then I notice the tree at the bottom of the garden, well, it's branches are starting to reach over the fence into next doors garden.
So there I am, in my undies and PJ top with long armed loppers leaping up and down trying to catch a branch between the pincers of the loppers. Thank heavens it's pretty secluded and no one can see me, hopefully. I manage to grab a few small branches and claw back all that is infiltrating next door.
Tuesday, back on the course and we learn some emergency skills in the first half of the morning, CPR, recovery position, what to do if someone is bleeding, in shock etc. We then move on to how to strike someone if you need to, how to block a tackle, (you think I'm making this up, don't you?) How to recover if you're knocked to the floor, how to bring someone down if need be. We then finished with a written test and a role play scenario where all manner of things happened which we, in teams of three, had to deal with.
I hurt just about everywhere, I don't think I've got every move down but I do feel far more able to take care of myself now than I did before and if I ever found myself in danger again, I wouldn't think, "there's nothing I can do," if there is a next time, well, I can do plenty.
I get home, shower, have something quick to eat then I have a doctor's appointment, I actually go in early which is almost unheard of. My blood pressure is high but I explain that not only is it usually high when it's checked at the clinic and fine at home, but I've been in combative training all day which probably hasn't helped.
I am exhausted, tomorrow, is interview day.
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