Attendees of Amberly Walker’s self-defense class each grabbed a partner and soon the sound of open palm slaps hitting mitts and shields filled the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal gym in St. Ignatius on Saturday.

More than 30 women of all ages showed up for the free Ten Snakes Krav Maga class, put on in conjunction with the St. Ignatius Police Department. Krav Maga is a Hebrew phrase meaning “contact combat.”

St. Ignatius Police Chief Jason Acheson welcomed everyone and was glad to see a good turnout. Acheson’s department provided snacks and drinks for the crew.

“Enjoy and get something out of it,” the chief advised participants.

Walker started the class talking about color-coded levels of awareness. White represents walking, looking at your phone, with no awareness of your surroundings, according to Walker.

Yellow, the next stage, is relaxed, but more attentive. Orange is the level where “something grabs your attention, or someone is off,” Walker said.

Then comes red, “that’s when you’re in it, in a fight, in an emergency situation.” Black is “complete vapor lock,” she explained.

“We encourage people to start practicing being aware of their surroundings,” Walker said. She counseled the class “to try not to scroll” when stopping at a light or a stop sign or when walking somewhere.

People generally don’t expect violence – getting beat up, abducted or mugged – to happen to them. The majority of attacks occur in the daytime, so Walker cautioned people to always have that knowledge in the back of their minds.

“Are you prepared to defend yourself or a loved one or a disabled friend or one who can’t move fast?” she asked.

Walker said women’s intuition is real. Believing that intuition is more important than offending a stranger, she said.

She recommended rehearsing a mindset of what you would do if someone broke into your house or tried to carjacked your vehicle. Practice it in the first person as if you’re actually experiencing the event.

Most people have heard that in a dangerous situation, their life flashes before their eyes. Walker said today neurologists say that all your life experiences flash through your brain to help people try and save themselves.

“Basically, have I been in this situation before? That usually causes a moment of a freeze, which is a natural human response,” she said.

Practicing mindsetting can help the brain decide faster.

“I tell people all the time,” Walker said, “... the more options you have the longer it takes the brain to select something.”

Walker also gave suggestions for helping break tunnel vision caused by an adrenaline dump during an attack.

“Hands up and look up,” she said. “Breathe and get out of there.”

Walker continued telling the class members to be 100 percent committed if they make the decision to defend themselves.

“You’re going to get hurt. If it comes down to a fight for your life, it’ll hurt,” Walker said. “If it’s a knife fight, there’ll be blood.”

Sometimes people fear pain more than the attacker, she noted. “That should be reversed – fear the attacker instead of the pain.”

Walker and her crew started teaching the women some defense and attack moves with lots of repetitions to get them ingrained into their brains. Moves included open palm slaps, a groin kick, and knee to thigh, then switching partners so each woman got a chance to practice and be critiqued.

Chief Acheson said he’s wanted to offer a self-defense class for women for a while, especially since October was Women and Domestic Violence Awareness month.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is another cause for self-defense and especially important on the Flathead Reservation.

“Fentanyl has changed the landscape for everybody,” he said.

He wanted to bring some program to the community for public and individual safety with tools to take away with them.

“I want community members to feel more confident in themselves, open their eyes and minds, and to empower them,” Acheson explained.

Ten Snakes Krav Maga holds classes Monday through Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. and from 7 to 8 p.m. A youth Krav is available from 4 to 5 p.m. Classes are held at Mission Ridge Community Center, 77581 U.S. Hwy. 93 North in St. Ignatius.

Check Facebook page for more information. New attendees should plan to show up a half hour before class.

    After a workout at the Ten Snakes Krav Maga self-defense class in St. Ignatius, these young women relax under a tree. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)