Self-defense classes grow after 9-11

People like Binghamton's Mark Kenyon, a 39-year-old father of two, who, at 6 feet 2 inches tall and a solid 200 pounds, never felt like a target before. He still feels fairly confident in his ability to handle himself, but now there's that niggling question of "What if?" So Kenyon, along with his wife, Lori, and their two young daughters signed up for karate classes at Frank Kushner's FMK Karate school in Binghamton.

"I wanted to be more prepared," Kenyon, an attorney, said.

Kushner, who has practiced karate for 35 years and run his school for 11, said he has seen enrollment shoot up by about 25 percent, and phone inquiries by about 50 percent following Sept. 11.

Many of those transfixed by television coverage of the attacks -- and by the onboard heroics over Pennsylvania -- have begun asking themselves if they could handle themselves in a similar situation.

"People used to be told just sit there and don't do anything," during a plane hijacking, said Kushner. "That's changed. People want to take a more active role in their safety."

They're doing that, in part, by learning street-based self-defense moves, which Kushner tries to incorporate in his classes as much as possible.

"There's the possibility of who knows what could happen when you're walking down the street," Kenyon said. After taking karate, "I have a lot more confidence if I have to walk through empty lots or back alleys. I'm more aware. We were in Washington over the weekend, and I felt a lot more capable of protecting my family if something should happen."

He sees his daughters, Ashley, 10, and Rachel, 6, are more capable, too.

"It's really given them the strength to defend themselves," he said. "They practice their moves at home, and I can really see changes in their self-esteem."