Former bullying victim now teaches self-defense class at Ida Baker High School

Evelyn Longa
Special to Fort Myers News-Press
Ida Baker teacher Josh Franzke demonstrates an exercise during his self defense class Tuesday afternoon. Franzke started a self defense program for its students. The program is in its third year and provides a cross section of training for students including wrestling and jiujitsu among others.

Ida S. Baker High School English teacher Josh Franzke has found his niche in the gym where students discover different ways to excel outside of the traditional classroom.

And while the course he teaches is called Self-Defense, it could just as easily be called Self-Confidence 101.

That’s because, from his perspective, self-defense isn’t about punching or kicking. It’s quite the opposite.

“The punching and kicking will get kids in trouble,” said Franzke, who has been a teacher at Baker for 13 years. “My feeling is if you can take the fight to the ground and hold them there without striking, it’s the most effective way.”
Franzke speaks from personal experience. When he was in high school he was the victim of bullying.

“Martial arts is what gave me the confidence to defend myself,” he said. “I tell my students, even if you’re not confident, fake it because no one else knows.”

Franzke said he had an opening in his schedule a few years ago and it was an opportunity to expand his role at the school. He earned his physical education certification. The self-defense class is built on the P.E. standards, but Franzke came up with the curriculum on his own.

Ida Baker freshmen Jazmine Rivera, left, and Savannah Devoucoux practice together during a self defense class conducted by instructor Josh Franzke Tuesday afternoon.

He said he currently teaches two sections of the class with approximately 70 students participating, with roughly an even split between girls and boys. Franzke said more than 90 percent have never done martial arts before.

Franzke said he teaches the base mixed martial arts – judo, wrestling, boxing and Muay Thai with the emphasis on Jiu-Jitsu because “in terms of self-defense, it’s the most effective.”

Students are taught a wide variety of techniques and approaches, including spatial awareness, nutrition, proper warm-up techniques and even verbal self-defense.

“So you can talk your way out of a situation and end a fight before it starts,” Franzke said.

Ida Baker professor Josh Franzke supervises an exercise during his self defense class Tuesday afternoon. Franzke is a teacher at Ida Baker High School who started a self defense program for its students. The program is in its third year and provides a cross section of training for students including wrestling and jiujitsu among others.

The moment when someone would need to use self-defense could happen anywhere from a school hallway to a parking lot at a mall to their own neighborhood.

“We live in a crazy world,” Franzke said. “It’s always good to be prepared in any situation. Be aware of your surroundings, but be confident in your abilities. You develop a confidence that if things go wrong, you know what to do.”

Josh Franzke supervises an exercise during his self defense class Tuesday afternoon. Franzke is a teacher at Ida Baker High School who started a self defense program for its students. The program is in its third year and provides a cross section of training for students including wrestling and jiujitsu among others.

It can take a while to get the hang of it. 

Early on, some of the students struggle simply because everything is new to them.“The movements we teach are so different,” Franzke said. “The students have never wrestled or grappled before. We do animal movements to get loosened up – alligator and bear crawl – and then we go into basics, so they get used to moving around on the floor.”

The floor, or ground, is where the focus is.

“Most of what we do is on the floor,” said Franzke, who is 37 and the father of two boys, who are also learning Jiu-Jitsu. “Something like 90 percent of fights end up on the ground. Once you get to the ground, it’s really difficult to defeat someone unless you have the knowledge and the skills.”

A good portion of the class is dedicated to different situations a student might encounter.
“I try to do situational drills where one is on top and one is on the ground on their back,” Franzke said. “The moves are different if the partner is resisting. They have to adapt to the situation. The girls learn to put the attacker on the bottom and they learn to escape from the bottom to get out of danger.”

Franzke said he hopes students who take his class look to build on what they have learned by taking more advanced level courses either while they are in high school or after they graduate. Fanzke has a passion for the martial arts and his wish is to see his students have a similar emotional investment.

Ida Baker professor Josh Franzke demonstrates an exercise during his self defense class Tuesday afternoon. The teacher at Ida Baker High School started a self defense program for its students. The program is in its third year and provides a cross section of training for students including wrestling and jiujitsu among others.

“We obviously can’t get too advanced,” he said. “I give them the basics and the foundation to move on. After my class they can go to a Dojo or an academy.”

Teaching the class also brings balance to his life.
“Martial arts is my passion,” Franzke said. “I like to teach both English and self-defense because it’s a good balance between the mental and the physical.”

Ultimately, Franzke gets his satisfaction from seeing the difference he is making with the students at Baker. There is a clear, positive effect on their self-esteem.

“I can see some of the quieter students holding their heads up and shoulders straight through the confidence it builds,” he said. “The kids love it.”