Richmond father and martial arts expert Matthew Dyck was so saddened by the recent tragic death of 15-year-old Laura Szendei of Delta and the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old teen from Maple Ridge, that he decided to do something about it.

The 38-year-old couldn't sit back, knowing he had the skills to teach young girls and women how to be safer and more street wise. He has decided to offer a free, one-day seminar for women, which will cover topics such as: awareness and avoidance, understanding fear, how to make adrenaline work for you, setting verbal and physical boundaries, assertiveness and confrontational strategies, break away and escape tactics.

"It's essential to empower young women with these tools so they can be more street savvy, and less vulnerable out there," Dyck said.

"I have been teaching martial arts and self defence classes for 25 years and I've also had first hand experience in domestic violence," he said. "I can't guarantee that this class will save anyone's life, but at least some young people out there might have a better chance if an unfortunate circumstance does arise.

"Self defence is 90 per cent mental and 10 per cent physical. What I teach is very simple, raw and very effective."

Richmond's Jeannette Poon, 24, took one of Dyck's self defense workshops a year ago.

The diminutive, 115-pound Poon enrolled in the program because she often stayed late at the University of B.C., where she was studying education.

"I often had to walk to my car or the bus stop in the dark and his self defense course really helped me feel more confident walking alone," Poon said. "It taught me to be more aware of my surroundings and how to get out of a scary situation."

Poon said she could have used Syck's techniques years ago. She recounts a scary tale in Grade 8 when a school "outcast" started following her home.

"It was pretty scary but one day he was in my cul-de-sac and I ended up approaching him," said Poon, adding neighbours were around so she felt safer. "He never came back. Although he was never violent or aggressive, he invaded my privacy."

Dyck said Poon handled the situation well.

"Most predators do not want attention drawn to them, they do not want to be recognized in public," he said. "When you acknowledge that you know what they are doing, you no longer appear vulnerable to them."

Dyck encourages women not to be easy prey for predators or attackers. Since most male assailants are much bigger and stronger than most women, the idea that a woman can fight off her attacker is absurd, said Dyck.

"If you commit to wrestling with an attacker who is bigger than you, you will lose," said Dyck. "When you are being attacked and only have seconds to stop the attack, you go after the eyes, ears, throat or pull his hair really hard ... do whatever it takes so that he doesn't take you to a secondary location.

"Police will tell you once that happens, a victim rarely survives."

Dyck knows all too well what its like to be a victim of violence.

His parents divorced when he was nine and his mother took up with an extremely violent and erratic man. At the time, they were living in a trailer park in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

From the age of nine to 12, he was sexually abused and assaulted by a family acquaintance. In a defining moment, Dyck chose never to be a victim again.

One beautiful June day, I came home from school and he was beating up my mother," he said. "I had so much pent up rage in me that I remember thinking that enough was enough and I beat him with everything I had."

"I left home at 16 but what I learned from those awful years was that predators look for opportune times to strike and they go for those who seem the most vulnerable."

Rather than become bitter and angry Dyck parlayed his horrible childhood into helping others through martial arts and self-defense classes.

"At the end of the day, it's about getting home safe by knowing how to get out of potentially dangerous situations."

This Saturday, Dyck is hosting a free self-defense workshop for young women dubbed, Assertive Countermeasures Training, on Saturday, Oct. 16 from 1-5 p.m. at St. Anne's Anglican Church, 4071 Francis St. Due to the size of the venue, the class is limited to 150 participants so it will be on a first-come, first-serve registration basis. A donation to the Richmond Food Bank would be gratefully accepted. To register or for more information, call Dyck at 604-722-6333, mail matthewjdyck@gmail.com or visit www.aikiconcepts.ca.

Matthew Dyck's safety tips:

- Be alert: Being alert to what and who is around you is the best defence. "Dial" up your awareness of your surroundings.

- Avoid texting or phoning when walking alone.

- Walk with a self-assured stride, with your head up, and look around. (People who look in control are less attractive targets.)

- Avoid walking alone at night.

- Avoid using short cuts or other routes that are less travelled and may obscure you from being seen by others.

- Try to stay in well-lit areas, and use routes that are frequently travelled by others.

- If you are in a situation of danger, never allow your attacker to take you to a secondary location. Fight tooth and nail, scream, draw attention to yourself.

mhopkins@richmond-news.com