"When I was 28, I took my first self-defense class and learned that I did have options-that I did have power. That realization transformed my life. I now have options, and I understand that I can resist. And it's not just about physical strikes. I also learned that I have the right to speak up. I found my voice. I learned how to ask for what I wanted and to say "no" when I wanted."
"I grew up in a big city where street harassment, starting for me when I was 11 (some 30 percent of girls in the U.S. experience their first public-space harassment before age 13), constantly reminded me of my vulnerability to sexual assault. I always believed that if anyone ever tried to rape me, there'd be nothing I could do because I assumed they'd be bigger and stronger than I was. So I was closer to the scared-all-the-time end of the spectrum."
Fear of interpersonal violence exists on a spectrum from denial to constant fear. Street harassment beginning at age 11 reinforced a sense of vulnerability and belief in personal powerlessness. At 28, participation in a self-defense class revealed options and personal power, teaching both physical resistance and verbal boundaries. Learning to speak up and say no reduced fear, increased confidence, and allowed kinder social interactions. Continued training in empowerment self-defense led to a desire to teach, and a decision to leave a day job to offer more classes and help others transform their lives.
Read at Psychology Today
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