CITY ROUNDS
Lessons in self-defense add to the self-esteem of local children living near the Health Sciences Campus. .
by Monika Guttman
Even if he is in full uniform and driving the official USC Department of Public Safety car, when kids in the neighborhood see Officer Daniel Hect these days, they're likely to bow and say "Hey, Sensei!" which means teacher.
That is because Hect, a black belt in USA Goju karate, is well-known for his role this past summer as the teacher for a six-week "Keep Me Safe" course in self defense. Twice a week, more than 30 community youngsters, ages 5 to 13, came to the gymnasium in Hazard Park and spent an hour falling, learning escapes and other fundamentals of self protection. This was followed by a course taught to teens.
Hect received no money for his services, which are part of his work as one of the Department of Public Safety's COPPS (Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving) officers. "I wanted to establish a rapport with the kids," he says. "Karate has done a lot for me, and I think it can do a lot for young people."
Hect has a school in his own home where he teaches karate to neighborhood kids during the school year. He taught karate to youngsters and adults before he came to USC, when he was a police officer with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Hect began taking karate in 1980 when he was in the Air Force, stationed in the Philippines. "I was a policeman, but I was tall and skinny-6 feet 3 inches and 132 pounds," he says, laughing. "I was kind of a shy guy growing up. Karate really changed my life. It also helped me as an athlete."
Hect recently won two bronze medals in karate at the Police Olympics-an athletic competition between police officers statewide. One was for fighting, and one for "kata," or form. "I'm a traditional martial artist," says Hect. "This is more of an art form for me. But it also keeps me in shape."
The "Keep Me Safe" summer program was such a hit at Hazard Park-with more than double the 10 or 15 students initially expected-that Hect agreed to teach an autumn class. Again, he volunteered his services through the COPPS program. The study was a little more formal, with students wearing the traditional gi (pronounced GEE) and learning fundamental kata. The first lesson: undoing some of the karate stereotypes the kids have learned from television.
