East Syracuse-Minoa became the 29th school in New York State to adopt the Crandall System as a means to educate its students in self-defense and awareness.

The Crandall System has four levels: Children, Teenagers, Women, and Senior Citizens. The instructional DVD, Children’s Self-Defense and Awareness, Volume 1 (3rd edition), presents the first level as a means for educators, parents, and concerned community organizations to take a proactive stance in arming children with the knowledge necessary to make a difference in their everyday lives. Many schools have had Grand Master Crandall, and staff from the American Martial Arts Institute, train them in this program.

Level 2 of the Crandall System concerns teenagers and is called the “Just Get Away” program. This program teaches teenagers how to get away and seek help in conflict situations that threaten their safety. It is not a martial arts style, rather a self-defense program. One of the primary features of the program is that the techniques cannot be used aggressively to harm another, while being very effective in escaping from the situation.

On January 24th, 2006, East Syracuse-Minoa High School brought in Grand Master Crandall to teach the Just Get Away program to its physical education staff to meet the New York State standards for child safety. The program will be taught as a six-week unit in their curriculum to all 1200 students at the high school.

Grand Master Crandall was assisted by certified black belt instructors: Mrs. Freleigh, Mr. E. Stalloch, and Mrs. G. Stalloch. Black belt students, Ian Ramsey and Stephanie Chard, also assisted Grand Master Crandall by demonstrating techniques throughout the day.

The six-hour program covered sixteen escape techniques, basic blocks, stances, punches, and stretching. Grand Master Crandall discussed the importance of not touching a student in order to teach and other principles that make the Crandall System both unique and effective.

The underlying educational philosophy of the program is for students to understand self-defense and its relationship to others, whether potentially threatening or simply daily participants in their social surroundings. They are to understand ways to promote positive behavior from those around them and to discourage unwanted behavior. Students are taught to demonstrate and present personal and socially responsible behavior as well as to care for and respect themselves and others. They will recognize threats to themselves and their friends and be confident to offer safe alternatives to minimize the threat.

The physical education teachers worked with a partner and the instructors helped them to learn the techniques so that they could later be taught to the high school students. The staff at East Syracuse-Minoa had a great time and were excited to learn a program that was educationally sound, effective, and well organized.

Each staff member was given a twenty-page book on the Crandall System (Level 2) that detailed all 16 techniques and the educational philosophy of the system. They were also presented with certificates for their permanent files signed by Grand Master Crandall certifying them to teach the program.

It was an exciting day and the East Syracuse-Minoa physical education staff had a great time. The knowledge that they will pass on in the coming weeks and years in their instructional physical education curriculum will make their students and community safer.

The East Syracuse-Minoa Physical Education Staff
with Grand Master Crandall, Mrs.Freleigh, Mrs. G. Stalloch, and Mr. E. Stalloch

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