Nia Sanchez Is Right on Self-Defense

Nia Sanchez is taking heat for her final answer during the 2014 Miss USA pageant. She shouldn’t be!

But apparently, some people are taking a stand against the beauty queen’s views on self-defense. Here’s what happened–

When asked about sexual assault on college campuses, the 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do suggested that women learn how to protect themselves.

…I think more awareness is very important so women can learn how to protect themselves. … I learned from a young age that you need to be confident and be able to defend yourself. And I think that’s something that we should start to really implement for a lot of women.  Nia Sanchez

Please note–she didn’t say learning self-defense was all that should be done. She was just sharing one idea. One powerful idea.

Also note that she was handed a loaded question and only given 30 seconds to answer. What exactly did her critics expect her to say?

“Yay! I got an easy one. Here’s my six point plan to end sexual assault once and for all. If there’s time, I’d also like to present my cures for racism and greed.”

Enough. Let’s all take a breath and get real…

Sexual assault has been a horrific plague since the dawn of humankind. To be frank, there may not even BE a solution. Which is why, until one is discovered, Nia Sanchez should be applauded for using her platform to recommend self-defense as one piece of the overall strategy.

It may shock her critics, but when I have instructed college-aged women in self-defense, many have no information whatsoever about sexual assaults. They worry about a stranger leaping out from a dark alley with a knife when they should be paying more attention to the “friendly” frat boy armed with nothing more than a smile and a ride home after a party.

Make no mistake, fighting back has been proven to stop assaults. Even women with no formal self-defense training are routinely successful defending themselves. Read The Blonde-Haired Warrior for proof of that.

The bottom line–Nia Sanchez suggesting martial arts or self-defense classes to help combat sexual assaults against women is perfectly appropriate. To suggest otherwise would be like saying…

You shouldn’t look both ways when crossing a street. We should teach drivers to pay attention.

You shouldn’t lock your door. We should teach people not to steal.

You shouldn’t watch your kids. We should teach people not to abduct children.

You shouldn’t wear a seat belt. We should teach people not to crash.

You shouldn’t hire a lawyer before signing a contract. We should teach people to be ethical.

You shouldn’t think. We should demand that life be simpler.

I wrote in The Myth of Women’s Self-Defense that self-defense is not just a women’s issue–it’s a human issue. Here’s why–

We are all born alone. We all die alone. In between, we are subject to never-ending hostilities both personal and impersonal. It is up to each of us to ensure our own protection and our own success.

If you find help along the way, take it. But don’t wait for it. That’s bad policy.

With the Fourth of July only weeks away, I can’t help but wonder if the critics of Nia Sanchez are also critical of the Revolutionary War. Would they have said, “Don’t revolt! Let’s teach the British Empire to treat her colonies more fairly!”

If they had, we’d all be eating black pudding and beans for brekkie.

And there would be no Miss USA pageant.

Keep fighting, Nia Sanchez!