UCCS police officer hosts self-defense classes at the Wellness Center

The UCCS police department is hosting a series of self-defense classes at the Wellness Center to encourage safety on and off campus. 

Patrol Sergeant Lisa Dipzinski hosts the classes at the Wellness Center and has been the only person hosting them since the pandemic. Despite it being hard to get people through the door, Dipzinski’s goal is to make the event an informative and entertaining bout that pulls students in. 

Dipzinski starts the training reviewing what it means to have an assertive mindset that will keep you safe, going over scenarios students might encounter in the real world against aggressors. “There’s paranoia, and there’s awareness,” Dipzinski said about our human response to danger. 

Throwing jabs, elbows and punches are among the skills practiced in the class. Punching bags are rolled out, and Dipzinski gives feedback on the exercises, helping students perfect what they could do in the one-hour session. 

Freshman Katie Panique attended a session on Oct. 8 and said her motivation to go came from her past experiences and wanting to find fun activities to do on campus. She spoke about an experience from her past where she heard gunshots in her neighborhood. 

“A lot of people hear a gun fire, and they don’t even stop what they are doing,” Dipzinski said in response. She added that paying attention to when something is wrong around you is important and spoke extensively about how to create barriers between yourself and danger and how to be ready for confrontation. 

When asked about feeling safe in her life, Panique said that she feels safe on campus, but walking downtown alone is terrifying. 

While the class has a practical application, Dipzinski strives to maintain a lighthearted tone to it. She said that the class is fun for students and instructor alike, but that the skills and mindset that can be adapted from the class are extremely valuable. 

“I can’t really explain it, I just love seeing people walk through the door, who are shy, timid and unsure of themselves, and then they walk out an hour later with confidence and the ability to be assertive in public,” Dipzinski said. 

Dipzinski said that there weren’t programs like this at her college growing up and that a self-defense program is essential for a college. Working at UCCS as an officer for 15 years, she’s been teaching the classes for a long time, but they haven’t always been accessible for students. 

UCCS started with the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) system. This was a single, twelve-hour course held once a semester. Dipzinski said that this class started with a high turnout that dwindled down by the end. The program was seen as unsuccessful, according to past reporting done by The Scribe.   

UCCS also worked with a program called Never-A-Victim in 2015, a four-hour class that taught students self-defense techniques and how to be aware of their surroundings. This program had extra funding that allowed the class to hire more instructors. Dipzinski said this class went well until the pandemic, which made in person classes that involved high contact impossible. 

Dipzinski worked with the Wellness Center to get another self-defense class started after COVID-19, but it has had smaller turnouts. Five students showed up the week prior to Oct. 8 due to a date mix-up, and the Oct. 8 class only had two in attendance. 

Dipzinski is hosting three more self-defense classes at the Wellness Center this semester. These will take place on Oct. 23 from 4 – 5 p.m. and Nov. 5 and Dec. 3 from noon – 1 p.m. 

Katie Panique and reporter Joseph Impellitteri practice punching. Photo by Lillian Davis.
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