Wen-Do Women's Self Defence Course Empowers Students

By Lucia and the Grade 7 Class

Last week the Grade 7 Health and Physical Education class participated in a two-day Wen-Do course. Wen-Do is a self defence class made for women when they're put in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. The class talked about ways we can use our voices, our physical capabilities, our creativity, and our intelligence to stay safe. We also talked about stereotypes and myths about where women get abused most often. This course teaches women how they are innately powerful and can rely on themselves.

Here are some thoughts shared by my classmates:

"When I took this class I learned that it's not just about strength against strength, it's also about concentration and believing in yourself. In this class I was taught all types of situations that can arise, what to do and when to use my voice, brain, and defensive techniques, such as blocks and counter attacks. Taking this class made me feel important and powerful. It helped me understand what I’m capable of and I found more courage in me. During the two-day course, we gained a lot of trust in each other, and in our power and voice."

"Now I personally feel more confident and powerful in myself."

"It was an empowering experience. I encourage everyone to take a Wen-Do course."

"Our class also talked about abuse and harassment. This was a deep topic, but I am glad that we got to talk about this because we got to understand more about this topic, and now our class is aware of harassment and abuse. I felt very confident after taking the course. I also feel more confident about going out in the public."

"Knowing that you had the ability to protect yourself in a situation of danger brought a sense of pride and power. I think that many girls and women tend to avoid doing certain things because they are warned of everything that could happen to them. People who take Wen-Do don’t feel that they need to do anything different from our male counterparts, as they realize that society is creating a world in which women aren’t shown often to be in positions of power, or be in any situation in which a man doesn’t have the upper hand. We talked a great deal about inequality, why people feel that it is okay to attack women, and false stereotypes that people have against women. By the end of the class we came up with several different ways that we could help end these false stereotypes and violence against women. Everyone left the last class with a great deal of strength and confidence, as we walked with newfound skills, and a strong sense of pride."

"I left that day feeling brave, confident, and strong."