On Saturday night, seven Claremont Colleges’ women graduated from Zero-Hour, an intense ten-hour self-defense class. The class, held at Scripps, taught the women techniques for verbally and physically defending themselves against assailants. After the students trained all day, a demonstration-filled graduation was to show friends what they had learned.

The Zero Hour class, which is partially funded by the colleges, is based on the "Model Mugging" program. Its goal is to give women the chance to learn how to successfully fight back in the event that they are ever attacked.

Before Saturday’s demonstration began, the instructors, Adrienne and Mark Vinci, took a moment explained how the course was started.

The program was founded by Matt Thomas in 1971 after a woman in his martial arts class was not able to defend herself when she was attacked and raped on the streets. Thomas realized that the techniques taught at martial arts schools were often geared towards men and their physical strengths. He began reviewing assault cases and found that women were attacked in ways different than men.

Thomas came up with new attack methods that he thought would improve a woman’s likelihood of overpowering her assailant. He concentrated on creating moves that used lower body strength, where women have more power. While attending Harvard University, he set up a class to put these techniques to the test. At the end of the class, he let the students try out what they had learned on him.

He was knocked unconscious.

Today, the classes include a male instructor who wears large amounts of body padding. This allows students to practice, using as much force as necessary. The instructors have the students fight harder than would most likely be needed, in order for them to be prepared in the case of a difficult fight.

Some students are assault survivors who use the experience to heal, while others just want to become more prepared.

Shauna Lawlis ’04 decided to take Zero-Hour because her mother had suggested she do some sort of self-defense training. The fact that the class was offered on campus was also appealing. "I decided I might as well try. I knew I could do this and learn how women to benefit from this experience.

When asked why she thought so few students took advantage of the course, for which they only had to pay a fifty dollar fee, Lawlis said, "I think a lot of people didn’t know about it. A lot of people also feel it isn’t necessary. They don’t think it could happen to them, when in reality it could happen to anybody. Taking the class also forces people to face the reality of assault."

The class does not currently train men, but other area programs do.

Though the class lasts an entire Saturday, the students found it well worth the time. Several commented that they would recommend other women take the course.

The students also reiterated that self defense is a useful skill even on campus.

"People have been victims, even on campus, and we all need to be aware," Hunter said.

A campus-wide e-mail will be circulated about when the course will be offered again. There will also be another graduation this Friday.