CAZENOVIA — This summer, local psychotherapist Meg Tobin is bringing “Model Mugging,” a full impact self-defense course for teen girls and women, to the Cazenovia community.

The two-day training is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Wednesday, July 20, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Established in 1971, Model Mugging Self-Defense training emphasizes personal safety and overcoming fears of assault through “role model mastery.”

During simulated assaults, participants are taught to use their full strength and power to fight back against a fully padded and specially trained instructor, referred to as a “mugger.”

According to the Model Mugging website, the course content and instruction are modeled upon practical and proven methods for how women can successfully defend themselves against common assault scenarios.

“Through repetition, we are actually teaching our bodies what to do in the event of an attack,” said Tobin, who will be assisting with the course. “It is not just an intellectual exercise; it becomes muscle memory. As a protective measure, our thinking brain goes offline in the face of threat, so even if we ‘know’ what to do, we often can’t respond effectively. Model Mugging encodes our muscles to react as trained, without thinking, enabling effective and efficient self-protection. I am 30 years away from my training and I still remember the series of ‘strikes’ in the order I was taught, and I am confident that my body would kick into gear if needed.”

Tobin participated in a Model Mugging class when she was 23 and just starting to recover from a sexual assault.

“It was a huge part of feeling safer in the world and reclaiming my own power,” she said.

Now that her daughters are 16 and 18 years old, she hopes to equip them with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves.

“Model Mugging is one facet of what I want them to know as young women out in the world,” she said. “. . . I work primarily with trauma survivors, and I know a lot of women and girls don’t always feel physically safe out on their own.”

While her daughters are participating in the course, Tobin will be offering support to any participants who may become overwhelmed during the training.

Mark Vinci, the director of Model Mugging, will be traveling from the west coast to teach the course.

Vinci said one of the most rewarding parts of training Model Mugging participants is watching their fear of being immobilized transform into an energy source that can be used constructively, rather than destructively.

“We change lives in two days,” he said.

According to Vinci, the trainings have helped many survivors to “change the endings” by increasing their viable options when faced with danger and helping them discover strengths they never knew they had.

“For those that are fortunate enough not to have been [assaulted], it might change their outlook and their awareness of what the criminal does, how he does it, [and] why he’s doing it,” Vinci added.

Ultimately, he explained, that awareness can help trainees to recognize criminal tactics early and move to safety before having to use any of their physical skills.

The exact location of the Cazenovia Model Mugging self-defense training will be disclosed to registrants.

Learn more about Model Mugging at modelmugging.org. To sign up for the Cazenovia program, visit modelmugging.org/self-defense-workshop/syracuse.