4 ms·

With workers on edge, SF tech companies offer self-defense classes

16 points by spking 8y ago

mc32 8y ago
They could have expanded offices in SJ --lots of space, low-crime, but instead they choose locales known for high relative density of mental disorders (given services for them are in the general area) --but instead they indulge on "cool" factor and not business (as well as employee safety).
- ralusek 8y ago
  ya but they could also teach us karate
taobility 8y ago
it's so ironic. I can't believe this is the global center of tech.
CapricornNoble 8y ago
First lemme start with this: https://youtu.be/i54grFI-JhA https://youtu.be/i54grFI-JhA Now compare that to the "training" the organization in the linked article, Impact Bay Area, provides: https://youtu.be/qRgdwH_V07c https://youtu.be/qRgdwH_V07c https://youtu.be/w0xeg0E3_5E https://youtu.be/w0xeg0E3_5E Look how compliant the attackers are. Do they actually expect assailants to just roll over like that? And read the caption on the second video: "I've been backpacking solo around the world since October 2015, and want to empower other women to travel anywhere by themselves and know that they deserve to walk on every single inch of this earth." ^Yeah, that's the sort of attitude I bet those two Scandinavian women had. They ended up getting their heads cut off. I went to the website of Impact Bay Area and there is no indication of the martial arts backgrounds of the instructors (if any). They offer "instructor positions" on their site, which includes 100 hours of training by their existing IMPACT Staff, with no mention of minimum requirements or skillsets for applicants. But IMO martial arts isn't even the best way to actually achieve improved safety for your workforce in dangerous neighborhoods. A good anti-terrorism/physical security course, combined with "combat hunter" instruction and practical application, would give people the mindset to develop and maintain a keen situational awareness and a sense for potential threats. Then have them do some interval sprints and other cardio training, because the best thing they can do if they ARE physically threatened is RUN. The sort of "self defense" theater @Impact Bay Area is just going to give people a dangerously false sense of confidence. And they are charging $750 for these "classes"??! Are people really so clueless as to spend money on this sort of training? I feel like I could grab a couple of ex-military friends, charge slightly less, and still deliver a higher-quality curriculum than this. -_- Except I don't live in the States and really have no desire to spend any significant amount of time in SF.... Edit: Here's a video on the combat hunter program: https://youtu.be/7t-BXqPf-jM?t=85 https://youtu.be/7t-BXqPf-jM?t=85 basically it helps you develop "spidey senses". You are more cognizant of your surroundings and perceptive of oddly-behaving people or objects (in my experience).

16 points by spking 8y ago

mc32 8y ago

They could have expanded offices in SJ --lots of space, low-crime, but instead they choose locales known for high relative density of mental disorders (given services for them are in the general area) --but instead they indulge on "cool" factor and not business (as well as employee safety).

ralusek 8y ago
ya but they could also teach us karate

taobility 8y ago

it's so ironic. I can't believe this is the global center of tech.

CapricornNoble 8y ago

First lemme start with this: https://youtu.be/i54grFI-JhA https://youtu.be/i54grFI-JhA Now compare that to the "training" the organization in the linked article, Impact Bay Area, provides: https://youtu.be/qRgdwH_V07c https://youtu.be/qRgdwH_V07c https://youtu.be/w0xeg0E3_5E https://youtu.be/w0xeg0E3_5E Look how compliant the attackers are. Do they actually expect assailants to just roll over like that? And read the caption on the second video: "I've been backpacking solo around the world since October 2015, and want to empower other women to travel anywhere by themselves and know that they deserve to walk on every single inch of this earth." ^Yeah, that's the sort of attitude I bet those two Scandinavian women had. They ended up getting their heads cut off. I went to the website of Impact Bay Area and there is no indication of the martial arts backgrounds of the instructors (if any). They offer "instructor positions" on their site, which includes 100 hours of training by their existing IMPACT Staff, with no mention of minimum requirements or skillsets for applicants. But IMO martial arts isn't even the best way to actually achieve improved safety for your workforce in dangerous neighborhoods. A good anti-terrorism/physical security course, combined with "combat hunter" instruction and practical application, would give people the mindset to develop and maintain a keen situational awareness and a sense for potential threats. Then have them do some interval sprints and other cardio training, because the best thing they can do if they ARE physically threatened is RUN. The sort of "self defense" theater @Impact Bay Area is just going to give people a dangerously false sense of confidence. And they are charging $750 for these "classes"??! Are people really so clueless as to spend money on this sort of training? I feel like I could grab a couple of ex-military friends, charge slightly less, and still deliver a higher-quality curriculum than this. -_- Except I don't live in the States and really have no desire to spend any significant amount of time in SF.... Edit: Here's a video on the combat hunter program: https://youtu.be/7t-BXqPf-jM?t=85 https://youtu.be/7t-BXqPf-jM?t=85 basically it helps you develop "spidey senses". You are more cognizant of your surroundings and perceptive of oddly-behaving people or objects (in my experience).