Finding Our Strength: Our First Two Self Defence Sessions
We are halfway through our four-week Self Defence for Women and Girls course, and the first two sessions have already brought plenty of learning, laughter and confidence building.
2 min read
When we first started talking about running a self defence course for women and girls, we knew we wanted it to feel practical, welcoming and accessible. We wanted people to be able to learn useful skills, ask questions and have a go without feeling judged or uncomfortable.
Two sessions in, that is exactly what we have been seeing.
Our four-week Self Defence for Women and Girls course is being delivered at All Saints Church in Wrexham by Chris and Hayley from Silent Hands Kung Fu, who have been guiding the group through different techniques and situations.
Learning Practical Skills
The sessions are very hands-on. So far, participants have learnt different ways to respond if somebody grabs their wrist or puts their hands around their neck, as well as thinking about awareness, escape routes and how everyday items could potentially be used to help protect themselves.
Building Confidence
One of the things that has really stood out is the reminder that self defence is not necessarily about being the biggest or strongest person in the room.
One participant told us they had learnt:
"That being taller or chunkier doesn't always give you an advantage. Different moves will work better depending on size."
Another said they had realised:
"It is not always about brute strength."
That feels really important. The course is not about turning everyone into martial arts experts in four weeks. It is about giving women and girls some practical tools, helping them think about what they could do in a difficult situation and, hopefully, building their confidence along the way.
Learning Together
We have also loved seeing how supportive the group has been with each other. There has been plenty of laughter alongside the learning, and participants have described the sessions as welcoming, friendly and a judgement-free space.
One person said their favourite part was:
"Meeting new people, and mingling in with learning techniques for self defence. Helping each other out with encouragement."
Another told us:
"Chris is not only good at what he does but he makes it fun too."
And one of our favourite bits of feedback simply said:
"I’m able to do something out of my comfort zone."
That is a pretty big achievement in itself.
Listening and Adapting
We are also listening to the things people think could make the sessions even better. Some participants would like a little more time for individual support when practising techniques, and we have also had useful feedback around how people are partnered during activities. We will be keeping this in mind as the course continues and looking at how we can make the sessions work for as many people as possible.
This course has been subsidised through our Together Fund, meaning women and girls aged 13+ could attend all four sessions for just £10.
For us, this is exactly what the Together Fund is there for. It allows us to take ideas that come directly from our community and make them more affordable and accessible.
We are now halfway through the course, with another two sessions still to go, and we are looking forward to seeing what Chris and Hayley from Silent Hands Kung Fu have planned for us next.
As one participant put it after the session:
"I can be confident about going out alone, I can defend myself if needed."
We could not really ask for a better reason to keep doing this.
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