Southwark Council is paying for all women living in the borough to get two hours of self-defence training for free.
The sessions are led by Women’s Self Defence UK founder, Joanna, where she will teach you how to act quickly and confidently in threatening situations.
All women aged 18 and over can attend regardless of income, with most sessions taking place at Mountview in Peckham.
Joanna brings 25 years of experience training as a martial artist and says her background in security exposed her to the unexpected dangers women can face.
She said: “Women still do not feel safe in the streets and that’s why they come to these sessions. We chat a lot about boundary assertion, which is a topic specifically designed for women when we enter a state of freeze.
“We teach strategies of how to behave, what to say and how to use your body language and voice to deter unwanted behaviour.”
Joanna also instructs participants on a range of deescalation and blocking techniques, in pairs or small groups during her workshop.
“I think to tackle violence against women and girls we need a systemic change, but while this change is still ongoing I think the immediate response is for women to come together, train, practice and learn,” she added.
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Paid for by Southwark Council the defence classes are being highlight in their ‘Your’e Invested’ campaign, showing local residents what their council tax is being used for in the borough.
Joanna said: “I think it’s fantastic that these sessions are offered for people who perhaps cannot afford to engage in paid sessions. Everyone should have access to these classes or at least one workshop.”
Women have to be 18+ and living in Southwark to attend.
Visit this website to see when new sessions are added: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/free-womens-self-defence-sessions-in-southwark-4451533
