CITY OF WALNUT CREEK ARTS AND RECREATION

& STREETWISE SELF DEFENSE

Just a little bit of background information on the your self defense class with the City Arts and Recreation Program. I will try to keep this short, so here is the bare minimum of things I would like to have before this class:

This is an active (interactive) class, where you will learn the most effective ways to hurt someone who is trying to hurt you, or at a minimum, surprise/hurt them enough to get them to let go of you long enough for you to get away. The primary person that gets hit in this class will be me. However, PLEASE TELL ME about any injuries or physical restrictions you are dealing with before class. We can almost always work around them without too many problems.

Please also make sure to take care of the electronic activity waiver (link in text message or email I sent you. If you are expecting an email from me, please be sure to check your spam folder if you can’t find it…), and come prepared to have fun and laugh a lot…

(Link to Electronic Waiver is Here)

Thanks! ~jhb

Any problems? Please call/text 925-532-9953….

WHERE DO WE MEET:

Walnut Creek Arts and Recreation
Assembly Hall, Civic Park
1375 Civic Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Please call Jay (Instructor) with updates or questions, at 925.532.9953

PARKING:
The entrance to the parking lot at Civic Park is off the east side of Civic Drive, just across from the Contra Costa County Fire Department. If you follow the red arrow (SEE MAP BELOW) around the back of the Civic Park Community Center, you can park right next to the building where the class is being held. Keep in mind that during most of the year, it will be getting dark or will be dark by the time class is over, so parking closer might be helpful. There is a short sidewalk from the parking lot to the Auditorium in the building on the right.

Parking and Access Map for Self Defense Class at Civic Park, Walnut Creek

WHAT TO BRING:

      • Water Bottle
      • Snack (optional, but you don’t want to be hungry)
      • Note pad (optional)
      • Sense of humor (not optional)

WHAT NOT TO BRING:
PLEASE do not wear jewelry! Diamonds especially, can hurt me or your training partner. Similarly, chains around your neck, earrings, and bracelets, can get in the way, lost or possibly broken when we are working with some of these defensive techniques. Usually, rings that are plain bands are okay, as long as they are secure and won’t fall off.

WHAT TO WEAR:
I encourage you to wear clothing that is comfortable (for exercise) & that covers your knees. We try to make the class as realistic as we can, so there will be a fair amount of scenario-based interaction with your training partner or with me on the mats. Running tights, yoga pants, or sweatpants have been popular with other students. Other attire should just be comfortable t-shirts or exercise clothing. I do not recommend shorts for these types of activities.

ABOUT THAT CAMERA IN THE CORNER…
I film every workshop I teach, both for your safety and my own, at the request of my insurance carrier. These videos get moved directly to an external disk drive in my office and are not used for promotional purposes. The quality isn’t that great but if someone were to get hurt during the class, at least there would be a video so that we could see what happened. On rare occasions we might do something that will help the company or another student in some way. When that happens, I will reach out to you to ask permission, or I will anonymize (blur) your face and any identifiable characteristics (like clothing) so that your identity will not be recognized. I was a military intelligence officer, and I have worked with survivors of abusive relationships, and what that means is that I take your security very seriously. If you have a specific concern about being photographed, or having a specific class/location associated with your identity, please let me know so we can take whatever precautions are necessary. Thanks!