East Coast Karate Helps Mothers of Multiples Fight Back [VIDEO]

The Mid-Jersey Mothers of Multiples meets regularly at Washington Engine Company on Jackson Street in Matawan, where they talk about life with twins, triplets, or higher sets of multiples. The group is social, supportive and philanthropic, and the second half of their meeting normally involves an activity or a speaker.

At their last meeting, they decided to take their safety into their own hands with a self defense crash course.

"Our programming director, she contacted and we just thought it would be something good for women and mostly moms to know self defense," said MJMOM President Amy Raphael. "You need to know how to defend yourself."

East Coast Karate master instructor John Ralph regularly teaches self defense to women's groups, he said. With the women of MJMOM, he focused on basic self defense moves like punching, kneeing and distracting an attacker. Ralph, with the help of Matawan residents Steve Todaro and Ed Botti, had the women practice techniques they can use to protect themselves and quickly remove themselves from a dangerous situation. The goal: get away in sixty seconds.

"Most things, after 60 seconds, you become a statistic," Ralph said.