Under the coaching of Wen-Do instructor Deb Parent, 13 women gathered in The Cat’s Eye last week to learn how to defend themselves.
“Let’s go bowling, ladies!” Parent said, with the students yelling “hut!” as they swung their hands between an imaginary assailant’s legs.
Wen-Do, a registered charity that claims to be the oldest women’s self defence organization in Canada, teaches women both verbal and physical self-defense techniques that complement their goal of training women on how to be aware of, avoid, and take action against any form of assault.
This philosophy was put into practice in the three-hour class organized by Rowell Jackman residence dons Jess Hierons and Rachel Campbell through U of T’s Community Safety Office.
Participants gathered in a circle with partners to practice various self-defense techniques, from a “Hello, Goodbye” hand slice to the carotid artery, to ways to escape bear-hugs, wrist grabs, and other unwanted physical contact.
“Follow through in executing these techniques can double your strength,” Parent said, sending the yoga mat flying across the room with a swinging hammer-punch.
Parent also distributed diagrams of the vulnerable points of the human body, outlining areas where “soft,” non-permanent damage, or “hard,” permanent damage could be afflicted on an attacker.
“We want this to be an inclusive space where women can talk about issues specific to our sex and the ways society affects us as girls,” Parent said.
Parent referenced movements like Tough GUISE, a project designed to change male attitudes towards masculinity to help them see how violent behaviours and attitudes negatively affect women.
“Popular culture teaches both men and women to behave in ways dangerous to both themselves and the opposite sex. We need to break through these stereotypes, and programs like ours are trying to help,” she added.
