The women at the free self-defense class on Saturday, April 13.
As a woman, I have always been told to be careful: don’t walk alone at night, don’t leave your drink unsupervised, lock your doors as soon as you get in the car. When I was a little girl, my mother ingrained in my mind rules like never go anywhere with a stranger and, when I was deemed old enough to go places on my own, that someone always needs to know where I am going.
While I have been fortunate enough to never experience an assault, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women will be raped at some point in their lives. I figured it’s never too late to learn how to defend myself.
On Saturday, April 13, I attended my first women’s self-defense class at Kim’s Taekwondo in Rochester. The class was presented by 8th degree Grandmaster Cheryl French, who periodically offers free women’s self-defense classes for the “average woman.” The class was free, but the instructors accepted donations that would be given to the Human Response Network because it is an organization that helps women who experience domestic violence, Grandmaster French said. The other instructors included Master Hull, Master Laurel and Ms. Peggy, who all helped teach the class participants the importance of self-defense.
Read the full story at the Lewis County Weekender: http://lewiscountyweekender.com/2019/05/rochester-taekwondo-instructor-offers-free-class-for-women/
