Self-Defense Training for Teens Going off to College

Crime and violence have become common in schools and college campuses today. The latest data and statistics are disappointing. While students across the country are at the risk of a wider variety of crimes and threats, the need to learn self-defense has become so important.

Meet Bill Mischke, a self-defense instructor who is on a mission to ensure students live their lives full of confidence and self-esteem.

“Many of our high school seniors will be heading toward college and living on their own. This is such an exciting time for them, but parents fail to realize that college campuses are not safe bubbles for their kids,” the Flower Mound-based expert level instructor said. “So many teens (especially teen girls) go off to college without any kind of self-defense skill or training, and when a situation happens, they are defenseless.” Bill strives to make sure this doesn’t happen. He teaches teens and adults not only how to defend themselves but also how to identify red flags to prevent a threat from happening in the first place.

You must learn not to look like or act like prey. The predators out there are looking for easy targets. Don’t be one,” Bill talked about the things every college goer must know about their safety.

A form of martial art, self-defense is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. Bill offers Krav Maga classes in the town and communities around it. Krav Maga is a style of self-defense and physical training, first developed by the Israeli army in the 1940s, based on the use of reflexive responses to threatening situations. Many believe that it is the most effective way of self-defense.

Bill runs Flower Mound Taekwondo and has been teaching people Krav Maga for the last seven years. “Our team is proud to offer Krav Maga classes that will teach you real-world self-defense skills, help you learn to escape dangerous situations, and give you the opportunity to build robust physical fitness — all in a safe, welcoming environment where anyone can thrive,” he mentioned. “Other than learning self-defense skills, our courses help students improve their fitness strength and speed and gain confidence.”

The school teaches children traditional martial arts. Coaches believe that the structure, self-discipline, and leadership skills they acquire are priceless.

“A few months ago, I received a letter from a former student who had left to join the army. He thanked me for his training and said that he feels self-defense skills saved his life when he was attacked by three guys while he was stationed in El Paso,” Bill shared an instance that made him feel proud of what he does. “The student had trained with me for several years; he said his skills just kicked in and did what he had to do to defend himself.”

“I love what I do and can’t wait to get to work! I love making a difference in so many people’s lives,” Bill added of what motivates him to wake up every day.

There are some misconceptions about self-defense that people usually believe to be true. “One myth is that you can learn how to defend yourself by taking a 2-hour weekend course. It takes training and repetition to build and maintain your skills. Regular training is critical,” Bill clarifies.

Krav Maga is designed to be simple, efficient, and effective. The training is conducted around four core principles: simplicity, efficiency, directness, and control. Flower Mound’s Krav Maga covers everything from basic combative to advanced techniques. While Bill focuses that all school and college students should learn self-defense, it is said that anyone between the age of 3 to 80 can take the introductory course even if they are totally new to martial arts. “What we teach is not for everyone, but everyone should try it out,” he shared a message.