Officer Sal Tells All

In past years, Self Defense was available as an after-school activity. This Year, however, Self Defense was introduced for the first time as a P.E class taught by Officer Salituri. So, I decided to head down to his office to gain some insight on the new class and how it compares to the after-school program.

So far, how do you think the in-school self defense class compares to the after-school program?

“I think both of the programs have positives and negatives.  I like the after school program because of it’s fast pace. Due to the pace, I know that all students will be present for all three classes as required in the after school version.  The nice part of the in-school version is that we have plenty of time to repeatedly practice the basic fundamentals.”

Due to the popularity of the class, do you think there will be more opportunities for students to take it sometime soon?

“I realize it is popular, and for those students that made it into one of the four credited classes congratulations.  Those that didn’t, I plan to offer an after school version of the class this year.  I may even do two.  The after school class will not have any class credits though.  If I have the after school classes, they will most likely take place in between sports seasons (middle November and middle March) for three evenings in a row each.”

Do the techniques taught in the class serve someone for life or is it necessary to re-take the course after a few years?

“Good question, I preach in the after school class that what I teach is a perishable skill which requires practice. It is something that a student can do in the privacy of her own home and it wouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.  My class is based off the R.A.D. systems training method.  This class is offered throughout the US at various police departments, colleges, etc. Practice makes perfect!”

Did you have to go through a lot of training to be certified to teach the class?

“I went to a 40 hour long training to become an instructor.  I was tested and provided with materials to use as teaching aids.  My training class was very fast paced and high stress.  They want to make sure instructors like myself have a solid understanding of what they are going to teach.  There were multiple final exams both physical and written.”

 Do you think self-defense training is a good way to stay fit and healthy?

“The class I teach can definitely increase the heart rate and generate a sweat.  It does more in the after school version when each class is a bit longer.  If a student wanted to practice self defense for at least a half hour at a time, similar to any aerobics, it would definitely be a good workout.  It is what you make of it.”