from the March, 2016 issue of Kiai!

Self-Defense at Work

By Senpai Amy Jones 
TW Violence Prevention & Self-Defense Program Manager and 3rd Degree Black Belt

If you ask someone off the street whether they’ve used any self-defense skills in their workplace, most will say they haven’t. But ask a Thousand Waves self-defense instructor, and the reply will likely be “I use them almost every day,” because our definition of self-defense is broader than that of most people. But few would disagree that self-defense is called for when a gun comes out. That’s what happened to one of our members, in the incident that inspired her to become a self-defense instructor.

Sensei Susan Barney didn’t wrestle anyone to the ground, or use a single physical skill, when an irate woman pulled a handgun out of her purse and slammed it on the counter in front of her. Susan was working at a doctor’s office, and this very angry woman was claiming that a check made out to her had bounced. “She kept yelling that a check had bounced. I went up and introduced myself and asked if I could help her, but she just kept yelling that the check had bounced – she was too upset to give me any more detail than that.”


Sensei Susan Barney now teaches the de-escalation tools she used to defend her office from a gun-wielding attacker.

Now a fourth-degree black belt and a nationally-certified self-defense instructor, Susan was at the time an advanced green belt. She had taken the 12-hour self-defense course that all Thousand Waves students are required to take, so she knew a few things about facing an armed assailant. “I knew that the gun was there for intimidation, so I just kept reminding myself of that,” Susan says. “And I knew that I needed to use my de-escalation skills. So I said, ‘I’m here to help, I’m going to get this fixed.’ I used a calm tone of voice. I kept using my self-talk to keep my cool, so I could stay outwardly calm.” She continued talking to the woman, and was able to eventually de-escalate her. In the meantime, one of her co-workers called 911, and another cleared patients out of the waiting area. By the time the police arrived in response to the call, they were able to take the disgruntled woman away without further incident. Susan never did find out if there was anything more to the story with the allegedly bounced check.

Healthcare settings and social service agencies are the workplaces most at risk for workplace violence, according to OSHA guidelines published last year. But unfortunately, any workplace can be the site of violence. Thousand Waves offers custom trainings for all sorts of workplaces. If you think your workplace might benefit, contact us to schedule a workshop.