When confronted by a mugger, it may be best to simply hand over your wallet or purse rather than risk physical violence, but when the mugger is threatening your body or your life, simply giving them what they want isn’t an option. The self-defense program SAFE, or Streetwise Action for Female Empowerment, is hoping to keep Madison women safe from this victimization.

Ali Trevi?o-Murphy is the program’s instructor. Trevi?o-Murphy is a third degree black belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate, a hybrid style of martial arts, and is currently the manager and chief instructor at Villari’s Martial Arts on State Street. She is also an activist against sexual assault and domestic violence.

The SAFE program was developed by Trevi?o-Murphy and her mother, Mary Murphy-Edwards, a seventh degree black belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate and self defense instructor of over 25 years.

“Over the years, [Murphy-Edwards] developed a curriculum that was designed to basically teach the most simple physical skills that a person can do with no martial arts training to keep themselves safe,” Trevi?o-Murphy said.

Though the techniques taught in SAFE aren’t exactly similar to those taught in Shaolin Kempo Karate, many martial arts principles are integrated into the SAFE program. SAFE emphasizes the same strong, grounded stance-work found in Shaolin Kempo Karate to maintain balance and control, using the student’s lower body as a source of strength. Perhaps the most notable is the style’s adaptability.

Shaolin Kempo Karate integrates concepts of five traditional Chinese Kung Fu animal styles which have different strengths and weaknesses, allowing practitioners to adapt techniques in a way that works for their bodies. This concept is similarly integrated into SAFE’s curriculum, which helps students of any size or physical ability maximize their advantages while minimizing their opponents’.

These accessible techniques are blended with Trevi?o-Murphy’s knowledge from her activism that not only teaches women how to defend themselves physically, but how to identify and avoid dangerous situations, even if the situation may not seem intuitively dangerous to begin with.

“I really, really want women to know that the most dangerous situation for them is being alone in a home with a man that they know, whether that’s a boyfriend or someone they’re dating or a friend, when that person has shown warning signs of potentially violent behavior,” Trevi?o-Murphy said. “It’s good to have trusting relationships; just make sure that trust is earned.”

A number of non-physical techniques and topics are covered in the class, like identifying when harmless flirting becomes invasive “creeping,” dealing with a person who may be following you and handling aggressive or drunk creeps in social situations. Handling these kinds of situations appropriately can obviate the need for physical violence.

Students are given the opportunity to practice techniques with volunteer “thugs” in role-playing situations. These can range from throwing off a persistent creep at a bar or party to escaping an overly-aggressive drunk who’s hanging off your shoulder.

Of course, there are times when these verbal techniques are not enough, and a more physical approach must be taken to stop a thug who has become violent. Students are taught how to break free from grabs, chokes and attacks on the ground, getting hands-on experience using the techniques on the volunteer thugs. The martial arts-influenced defenses are strong and effective, regardless of size or body type. This becomes immediately apparent when you see a variety of women, from their twenties through middle-age, almost effortlessly tossing a 200-pound thug to the the ground in a SAFE class just minutes after learning a new technique.

Specific targets are emphasized in the techniques to help students maximize damage to would-be attackers at minimum effort. This helps students to diversify their targets from the all-too-well-known groin shot to other vulnerable spots an attacker may not be so focused on protecting, like the knees or ears.

Trevi?o-Murphy also works to educate students on common self-defense myths, breaking down ineffective techniques and explaining the shortcomings of some well-intentioned advice you may have received at some point (putting your keys between your fingers to make a little claw is probably a bad idea, for example).

At times, the sensitive subject matter covered in class may make students with a history of sexual or domestic abuse uncomfortable, but the SAFE program is respectful of these students’ emotional needs while still striving to teach these women effective self-defense techniques.

“I always give an option for women to choose not to participate in the physical techniques if they’re uncomfortable,” Trevi?o-Murphy said. “Other than that, I do have some women who feel like they could never hit someone. I will say by the end they all are able to step outside of their comfort zones and do things that they didn’t think they’d be able to do.”

The program is scheduled through The Wisconsin Union’s Mini-Courses, and are taught seasonally: twice in fall and spring and once in the winter and summer. The six-hour class is available to all women ages 14 and up and is broken up into four hour-and-a-half classes or two three-hour classes, depending on the session. SAFE is also taught as a workshop for groups and organizations.

Though violence against women is, unfortunately, a perpetual problem, accurate information and effective techniques for women to protect themselves is one way Trevi?o-Murphy and the SAFE program are trying to help all Madison women from this victimization.

“Even if someone is really small or thinks they’re not very strong, we can teach them to do some really awesome things.”