That made sense in a horrible, practical way.
So I listened.
He showed me how to plant my feet. How to shift my weight. How to use the heel of my hand. How to break a grip at the wrist and angle my body to slip out of reach.
“Don’t try to win, that’s not the point of this lesson,” he said. “Try to escape and stay safe.”
The way he said it, blunt and unromantic, made it easier.
He never once made me feel foolish for being clumsy or slow.
If I flinched, he paused. If I got the motion wrong, he corrected me without annoyance.
Ellen watched for a little while and then joined in, taking over once Frank decided my shoulders were too tense, facing a man, and my balance needed more work.
“What if somebody grabs your arm like this?” she asked, demonstrating gently.
I reacted as best I coul
