Fears inspire local self defense classes

Max Zahn

Seven years ago, Ron Duvay was walking in Queens when a robber rushed up to him and put him in a chokehold.

“I had no idea what to do,’’ he said. “I was frozen. I promised myself at that point to at least learn how to get out of a situation like that.”

After getting trained in self-defense, Duvay, of Manhasset, has decided to pass along his knowledge to area residents at “low cost or no cost as a public service to the community,” he said. Classes will take place either on weekday evenings or Saturday afternoon in a studio at Moves & Motions Manhasset School of Dance on Manhasset Avenue.

“There’s a little fear with people going on in the area,” he said. “Different kinds of break-ins. Various people have come up to me and asked me how they can get out if someone grabs them and brings them to their car.”

Duvay was born in Brooklyn but soon moved to Missouri and grew up in the Midwest.

He began practicing martial arts 20 years ago, at age 30, as a way to get exercise.

He took a combination of karate, krav maga, an Israeli self-defense discipline, kung fu, and jiu-jitsu, he said.

But even after a decade of training, Duvay didn’t know what to do when the assailant approached him in Queens.

“Most martial arts are not very practical,” he said. “It’s not self-defense. It’s more about [competing in] tournaments and memorizing moves.”

After the incident, he “tried to find a self-defense program more geared to practical applications.”

Over time, Duvay developed a regimen drawn from his training in various disciplines, which focuses on deterring and blocking attempted assaults.

A freelance commercial videographer, Duvay moved to Manhasset about two years ago, he said.

He said residents who take his one-hour classes will “learn some simple techniques for how to respond if you’re attacked on the street.”

He said half of each class will be devoted to group conversations about the concerns of attendees.

“I want people to feel as if it’s their class and they can talk about their own problems,” he said. “Rather than my standing up and telling them what to do.”

The dates, times and frequency of the meetings will be determined by how much demand there is for them, Duvay said. He needs at least 10 participants to make it worthwhile to use the studio space, he said.

He encouraged those interested in participating to call him for more information at 347-495-6540.

“I want to impart knowledge to people and maybe they can impart it to other people,” he said.

“The important thing is getting out the knowledge.”

TAGGED: safety, self defense
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