Free Assault Seminar Offered After Attack

Mirian Soto was attacked while jogging Monday morning in Van Diest Park.

Soto said her attacker came up behind her and threw her to the ground and asked for money and sex.

Soto told KRDO Newschannel 13 that she was able to fight off her attacker and get away.

Heather Costely, co-owner of Calvary Family Martial Arts and Fitness, said that she saw the story air on KRDO Newschannel 13 and decided to help women learn to do what Soto did by teaching them a series of techniques that could save their lives.

?We can?t choose who is going to attack us. We can?t choose who they attack. What we can do is have some say in the outcome, and that is our goal,? said Costely.

Costely and her husband, Isaac, will be hosting an ?assault seminar? on Saturday, June 2. The class will focus on showing women how they can fight back and escape from an attack.

Costely said participants can expect to learn the difference between static and kinetic defense mechanisms, and how to defend themselves against different kinds of attacks and attackers of all weight ranges.

Costely gave KRDO Newschannel 13 a few tips, and explained that the first thing you should do when under attack is to address the attacker’s senses: ears, eyes and throat.

?If they can?t see you, they can?t fight you. If they can?t stand, they can?t fight you. If they can?t breathe, they can?t fight you,? she said.

Others who were around when Soto was attacked neglected to come to her assistance, and Costely said attack victims cannot afford to wait for others.

?You can?t trust that other people are going to be around all the time. You still need to take the chance and take care of yourself. Make the decision of where he is going to go, to the hospital or somewhere else, because he is going to make that decision for you,? said Costely.

The seminar will be conducted at Costely?s studio, located at 2361 North Academy Blvd. in Colorado Springs.