What Self-Defence Looks Like in the Real World.
By Power For Women.
In the last 12 months, we have coached over 2,500 women and girls across Yorkshire and beyond. These have been professional working women, university staff and students, as well as mother and daughter groups. But there are some stories behind those numbers that stay with us more than others.
At a local youth club this year, the children didn’t quite know what to expect when we walked in. We were booked for an hour while at the same time they were also booked to play football. They could choose which one they wanted to do or more accurately, they could do either as they pleased. Kick a ball for a few minutes then run across and hit some pads and back to the football.
We couldn’t have that, especially since it would increase the potential for injuries. We had to catch their attention and show them this wasn’t karate or martial arts.
We teach to hit really hard because when we’re justified to hit someone, then we better make sure they know about it. In self-defence, as a woman, you might only get one chance to make them stop. We have to make that chance count.
And that’s what caught their eye. The sheer power of how hard each of our instructors can hit and then how other participants were also starting to hit really hard.
They wanted ‘in’ on that too.
Then, 20 minutes later, half of them left to get crisps and fizzy drinks!
Anyway, we know most of them discovered a new confidence and understanding, plus they all had a lot of fun so we consider that a win!
We’ve had plenty of unexpected sessions like that. Once, we thought we were teaching business students but in walked 11 young people with Down’s Syndrome. No warning. No time to prep.
We just rolled with it. We’ve fortunately had experience with people with ADHD, someone in a wheelchair, a woman with only one working arm and many others.
These sessions keep us on our toes. They’ve made us better coaches, more able to be inclusive of people who might feel they can’t ‘do self defence’.
See, not all of us are superhuman to start with but our aim at Power For Women is to make every contact with every person to be meaningful and empowering.
A big takeaway that we’d like to share is that empowerment doesn’t only happen in dojos. We’ve run sessions in classrooms, offices, parks, even on the streets of York with the Deputy Mayor and 60 marchers. It doesn’t matter where you are – it matters that we’re there.
As a gift to NPH readers, we’re offering the first 10 days of our One Step Ahead online training –free. Learn how to overcome fear and freeze, hit with real power, and more.
Simply write “YABA” in the ‘message’ section when filling out the form below:
https://www.power-for-women.org/enquiries
Let’s create a safer, stronger future for all women and girls.