Women sharpen up on self defense skills

While many of us feel invincible, there’s no doubt that as women we need to know how to take care of ourselves. With that in mind, over the weekend, the Women’s Department organised a series of classes designed to teach self defence. News Five’s Marion Ali was one of the participants.

Renee Wentz, Self Defence Instructor
“If a man attacks us that we have to do whatever is going to happen, we are going to be rape or be murdered then we’ll just keep getting raped and keep getting murdered so we are fighting for our lies, we are relay fighting for our lives and we can get out of situations. There are thousands of women trained and untrained who have gotten out of situations before.”

Things got up close and personal on Saturday as Belize City women took part in a basic self defence course. The session covered routines ranging from warning suspected perpetrators to keep their distance, to defence tactics against attackers armed with a gun or a knife. There’s even a special way to fend off perpetrators using a machete.

The women learned how to use different parts of their own bodies to hurt and disarm assailants and escape dangerous situations.

Carmita Velasquez, Self Defence Participant
“Even though it’s the first time that I have attended such a course I fell much more better to resist an attack. I won’t give in quite easily that I know for sure.”

Marion Ali
“What you learned?”

Carmita Velasquez
“I learned so many moves and definitely I will practice so if anything does occurs which I hope not but in the event you know, I think I will be able to do something.”

Felicia Lofter, Self Defence Participant
“Hold them on their hand and knock them two time or three time and then deh wah let go.”

Marion Ali
“So this was a good course for you?”

Felicia Lofter
“Yes ma’am.”

Marion Ali
“Have you ever been attacked?”

Felicia Lofter
“Yes ma’am.”

Marion Ali
“You think if it would happen again you would be better able to defend?”

Felicia Lofter
“ Definitely.”

Self-defence trainer, Renee Wentz, runs a programme called “SHE Thing Self Defence and Personal Safety for Women and Girls”. Wentz says she felt an obligation to teach self defence classes to women because of their innate vulnerability.

Renee Wentz
”We know that women are attacked, sometimes in their own homes by intimate partners and also by strangers on the street or acquaintances. Violent crimes happen to women often and we’re vulnerable for that because of our size and also the way we were raised. We’re raised to be fearful and what I want to do is encourage women to not be fearful, to give them some skills that they can use to make themselves less likely to be look at or picked as a target or victim, to prevent something from becoming physical and if it does lead to a physical confrontation for them to be able to defend themselves and save their own lives.”

Marion Ali
“I guess the message behind all of this is empowerment right, because a lot of women feel powerless?”

Renee Wentz
”Yes, even the participants today said they feel fearful walking down the street and many of us women not only are fearful of people but we are also harassed on a regular basis just being a female and walking down the street.”

According to Development Officer Tricia Collins, self-defence is a personal decision that could save lives.

Tricia Collins, Women Development Officer, Belize City
“Women are always in a vulnerable situation whereby they need to know how to defend themselves even just walking along going to their daily business, coming from or to their homes. They need to know to protect themselves.”

Marion Ali
“Recently we’ve heard of a lot of women being attacked by their own spouses and being killed. Do you think this will deter or protect them from such things?”

Tricia Collins, Women Development Officer, Belize City
“Certainly. Having some level of self defense will eliminate you from any kind of attack, just something basic like you husband getting up in your face you know how to defend and to shed off some of those aggressions.”

Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.

The class was the final event of the Women’s Department’s Sixteen Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women. If you would like contact Wentz, please email her at shethingsd@yahoo.com.