Empowerment through self defence
When Yvonne Munro was woken in the night to find a drunken man banging on her windows, her selfdefence training kicked in.
It was the usefulness of that training that saw her take part in another self-defence course on Wednesday, as a refresher.
She was among nearly 30 women who spent two days learning self defence at the Palmerston North Community Leisure Centre, as part of a course put on by Age Concern and the Women’s Self Defence Network Wahine Toa, for women over 55.
Organiser Robyn Baker said many older people worried about their safety at home or at the shops, and it sometimes reduced the amount they went out, leading to social isolation, depression and reduced mobility.
But, with a few simple skills, they could feel empowered to protect themselves, she said.
The group learned tips to recognise dangerous situations and how to respond to them, as well as practising holds, strikes and defensive moves.
‘‘The idea is to learn skills and tools so we, as women, can go out there and live a confident life – to not be controlled by fear and trauma,’’ Baker said.
Munro said thanks to a previous self-defence course, when trouble did strike last year, she felt better prepared to be assertive and fierce.
She was in bed when she woke to find a very drunk, naked man in her garden, banging rocks against her windows and standing in the stream of the sprinkler.
The incident was funny now, she said – she believes it may have been the man’s stag night – but at the time, it was quite frightening.
She shouted at the man in a fierce voice that she was calling the police, then made herself more secure in a room at the back of the house and called for help. Fortunately, the intruder moved on.
‘‘Knowledge is power. You hope you don’t have to use it, but if you do, then you’ve got the knowledge. And I feel like I know what to do to be able to present in a confident way.
‘‘The physical response is not necessarily the first line of defence.’’
Anne Bennett also found the lessons valuable.
‘‘I feel stronger inside just knowing what the possibilities are and how to respond if need be. There’s [actions] I wouldn’t have thought of as ways to defend yourself.’’
Baker said even when faced with danger, many women resisted taking swift, firm action, because they wanted to think the best of the person involved. However, it was important they acted to protect themselves if they were in danger.
This is the third year the course has run and Baker hoped it would be repeated again.