Self Defence Course by Danielle Frost

Year 11 Girls’ Self-Defence Course

On Thursday the 16th March, 26 Year 11 girls participated in a self-defence workshop, where we acquired a wide variety of valuable skills important for our safety. 

Our minds, voices and bodies are powerful and we learnt how to use them to their full extent in order to defend ourselves. We can use our minds to problem-solve our way out of situations, and our voices to yell and send for help. We were taught physical techniques such as elbow strikes, hammerfist punches, foot stomps and shin and knee kicks, as well as learning how to escape from wrist and strangle holds. Context was given, and the instructor created scenarios in which these various techniques would be applicable and lawful.

The course included relationship safety too, teaching us how to maintain healthy relationships. We learnt how to recognise signs of unhealthy behaviour, and take action to keep ourselves, and our friends, safe. We were shown the importance of trusting our instincts and staying aware of our surroundings. Many interesting statistics were shared surrounding harassment and unsafe situations. For example, we learnt that what a girl wears when she goes out doesn’t have any impact on the likelihood of her being harassed. Cases of harassment are never the girl’s fault for wearing something “inappropriate”. The course showed us the importance of feminism, and we left feeling strong and confident, knowing that we are all worth protecting and have the right to be safe.