LESSON MAY JUS T SAVE YOUR LIFE
WALKING across a dimly lit carpark alone at 9pm, you fumble for your keys in your handbag as a stranger starts walking towards you.
Your heart beats faster, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and your legs feel like concrete blocks. What would you do? Pablo Cardenas is the chief instructor of the North Queensland Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy and runs self- defence classes on a Monday night.
Many of his students are women. Some are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Others are just ordinary Townsville women who want to learn how to defend themselves.
His lessons aren’t just about “punch, kick, elbow”.
“I teach them straight up how to defend against sexual offences and I teach them if you’re being tied up with duct tape how to escape using just your shoelaces,” Pablo says.
“We teach them real- life scenarios based on evidence, like what’s the most popular way women get at- tacked and what risk factors women unintentionally put themselves in,” Pablo says.
Most students at his Garbutt academy are shown what to do if they find themselves at risk of violence.
“How do they handle themselves when they’re walking home alone on Flinders St on a Saturday night, in a dimly lit carpark or if their car breaks down on the side of the road,” Pablo says.
He says women should trust their instincts when it comes to safety.
“If something doesn’t feel right, your pulse rate goes up, the hair on the back of your neck goes up, you get shaky … fear is an ally and sometimes people don’t listen to that,” Pablo says.
But there’s things women can do if they find themselves in a dicey situation, he says, including having a strong tone of voice and speaking assertively, as well as a strong body posture.
“If your avoidance methods and awareness is good, you can keep yourself out of trouble,” Pablo says.
>> To book a spot at the free self- defence classes,
phone 0427 537 771.