If you’ve ever tried to pick a rose, you know what it’s not as easy as it seems. There’s thorns that fight back, and stop you from taking it. The point of the Rosebud class, happening today in Astoria Park, is to teach the children of Astoria to be like roses – impossible to take.

 

In light of a recent situation, Tony Meloni, the founder of the New York Anti-Crime League, brought back a class that teaches children and parents self defense. The  situation happened on 30^th ave and Crescent, where a child was walking down the block with his parents, and someone tried to abduct the child. The parents fought the person, and after being fended off, the abductor returned to try again. While the parents saved their child, the abductor was never caught. Church sent out a bulletin to be careful.

Tony tells us there’s two things this class teaches: one is what to do before something happens, one is what to do when something is actually happening.

Even if you’re in great street shape, you might not have “street sense.”  This class hones that skill. It makes you understand your surroundings, and how to feel if something isn’t as it should be. It also teaches proper techniques in self-defense that are easy to use and effective.

In the class, both children and parents are involved. Tony says, “We tell people not to e paranoid – but to be prepared. It’s a very rare incident, but it is very scary, and people should be aware. We try to make that fear understandable, and show them that they can do something.”

Even if you’re a small child, you can fight back. In these incidents, the more you fight back , the more of a chance you have of getting away. Tony tell us, “We teach people not to panic, and how to have some kind of plan to fight back. If you can teach people that, they can be safe. And most of all, we teach them: DON’T DO WHAT YOU SEE ON TV.”

If you’re interested, the event is 11 am today, 9/6, in Astoria Park, at the meadow between 19th Street and 23rd Avenue.