Firstline of Defence established in 2000 is a privately owned and operated company with our head office located in Barrie, Ontario.

Firstline of Defence is a professional consulting firm that specializes in and offers Personal Safety Program. The mission of Firstline of Defence is to design programs that offer safety and awareness to the public and security sector. We have specifically designed and developed programs for individual Security Companies, and companies who have their own in-house security staff. These programs offer training to security officers. Many companies are looking for programs that can be designed to educate their employees in such areas as conflict management, personal safety and awareness in the workforce.

Not only does Firstline of Defence cater to the security sector, basic self defence and safety awareness programs are available to all members of the community. Please refer to our Public Courses.

Through the years, Firstline of Defence has achieved a reputation for the performance of quality training and fulfilling all commitments. Our experience is focused on the client. We have been successful in maintaining a balanced blend of key personnel, who have not only traditional values but also continue to up date their training and knowledge of the industry.

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With kind permission by NICKI CRUICKSHANK Saturday March 22, 2008

Going on the defensive; Women pack a punch with defence training

Posted By NICKI CRUICKSHANK
Rebecca Coppin was sick of being someone's punching bag. Family feuds and random attacks had left her angry and on edge. "I had a lot of anger issues because I got beat up by my cousins a lot as a child," the 18-year-old Barrie-area resident said. "I also had three guys attack me in Lackies Bush, and I almost had the crap kicked out of me.

"I even had some guy steal my purse at the Barrie Fair," she added. "I let him take it, because protecting the two-year-old I had with me was all I was thinking about."

But six years of self-defence training later, any attacker would be sorry they messed with her.

"I learned discipline and how to defend myself if someone tried to hurt me," Coppin said.

Coppin was once like many women still are - unsure and not confident in their ability to defend themselves. A sexual attack on a woman early last Sunday on Toronto Street near Hillcrest School shows how vulnerable many are.

This is why Ronald David and Tony Altomare saw the need to start up Firstline of Defence Training Centre three years ago in Barrie's south end.

"Our objective is to teach women how not to be a victim," said David, a former security guard and co-owner of Firstline. "In case you're ever in trouble, you should know how to defend yourself."

Firstline's safety awareness program for women puts participants through several scenarios, and teaches techniques they could use if a stranger attacks them.

Women learn proper stance, balance and movements for self-defence, as well as escaping from grabs, and basic blocking techniques. Falling techniques, defensive kicks and punches, and throwing an attacker off you if you're pinned down are also in the mix.

Janice Dinner had never tried any of them, but with her late-night job, she's happy to have mastered a few defense moves through the program. "I work at a bar at night, and normally leave after 2 a.m.," Dinner said.

"Sometimes, I'll walk out of the bar, not paying attention to what's around me. But I will from now on."

"Just knowing that I can do something to protect and defend myself is amazing," she added. "I feel more confident that I can be more aggressive and not be a victim."

Christine Milley thought her lack of physical strength and hesitation to fight back would hold her back.

"With the choking part, at first I didn't feel I had any power, and never thought I'd get out of (the instructor's) grasp," Milley said. "It was a revelation to me that I actually could, and that many of the techniques are aren't about strength."

Instructor Janet Coppin, Rebecca's mom, sees a woman's reservations to fighting as a key defence problem.

"The first thing we as women have to get over is not wanting to hurt someone," Coppin said. "If you're being attacked and you can't punch or kick that person, they're going to hurt you and you won't get away."
Milley said that knowledge was a wake-up call to her.
"A little bit of knowledge goes a long way and really builds up your self confidence," she said.
That confidence is what David and Altomare want to see in all women leaving their course with.
"Our goal is to empower women," David said.
"We adapt the techniques so women can do them," added Altomare, a retired Toronto Police Officer. "Anyone can do this training, as long as they have the determination."
Common reactions to an attack
Reduced hand-eye co-ordination
Loss of manual dexterity, fine motor skills
Panic and indecisiveness
Complex training starts to break down
Unreliable mental track - how many attackers?
Tunnel vision - swivel head to compensate for it
Auditory exclusion - unable to hear loud noises
Muscle tightening (adrenaline)
Time and space distortion - slow motion
Memory disturbance - blackouts, size distortion

Contact the writer at ncruickshank@thebarrieexaminer.com