Self-defense, where students take safety into their own hands

By Heather Austin • March 19, 2026

(L-R) Julio Martines, HVAC major, and Moises Peña, film and art major, participate in their self-defense class at El Camino College on Wednesday, March 4. (Ryan Hirabayashi | The Union)

Pairs of shoes lay sprawled on the floor outside the gym mat, where students sit crossed-legged along the inside edge and watch as martial arts teacher Ethan Kreiswirth demonstrates how to defend themselves against an attacker.

Student Alex Valle, 18, had been in fights in the past. That is why he joined Kreiswirth’s Combative Arts and Self-Defense class.

“Just in case, if somebody tries to fight me, then I have to defend myself,” Valle said.

(L-R) David Alvarez, an accounting major, and Carlo Enad, a cybersecurity major, are drilling out "pummelling" in their self-defense class at El Camino on Wednesday, March 4. Pummelling is a grappling technique to get double underhooks to control the attacker&squot;s posture to prevent strikes. (Ryan Hirabayashi | The Union) — (L-R) David Alvarez, an accounting major, and Carlo Enad, a cybersecurity major, are drilling out "pummelling" in their self-defense class at El Camino College on Wednesday, March 4. Pummelling is a grappling technique that uses double underhooks to control the attacker's posture and prevent strikes. (Ryan Hirabayashi | The Union)

Self-defense is exactly what the word describes, according to Kreiswirth. “It’s self-defense. I‘m not trying to attack anybody. I’m trying to get away from an attacker,” he said.

Kreiswirth began teaching at El Camino College during the fall 2024 semester as an Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries instructor, which is offered only in the fall, and then for the Combative Arts and Self Defense class offered in the spring.

The self-defense class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. in Room 201 at the Physical Education Building.

Kreiswirth has been practicing martial arts for almost 30 years and is a 4th degree black belt in Brazilian jujitsu. He acquired his Ph.D. in sports medicine from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

(L-R) Danielle Pasek, a kinesiology major, and Quyen Le, a radiologic technology major, work on back attack defense in their self-defense class at El Camino College on Wednesday, March 4.

“Jujitsu teaches you to be comfortable with proximity and what to do when being grabbed or being kicked down on the ground,” Kreiswirth said. “Most people want to try to get up, and they get up the wrong way.. you need to know how to face your attacker on the ground and standing up.”

During class time, students learn how to fight standing and on the ground, how to react when attacked from behind, and how to break grips.

“Most people see fighting just as stand-up fighting that they see on Instagram and YouTube, and knocking someone out with one punch. That’s not reality. What’s reality is being grabbed,” Kreiswirth said.

Self-defense class at El Camino College taught by Keiswirth, learn about hug prevention, wrist control, and pummeling on Wednesday, March 4. (Ryan Hirabayahsi | The Union)

Nursing major Lyshanay Tatum, 32, said the class will help with her career. “If I’m getting off work late .. going to my car, someone happens to attack me, I’ll know self-defense,” she said.

According to Kreiswirth, when you are leaving a class and you think you are alone, you need to prepare yourself, look around, recognize your surroundings, get off of your cell phone, and make contact with other people to let them know that you see them.

“The class actually [helped] me to stay more focused and aware,” Tatum said.