Friday the 13^th was a pretty cool day, I don’t think anything bad happened to me, except the fact that an instructor kept “attacking” me until I could block her move. Let me explain.

There was a self-defense workshop held by Rose House, given to us by the Karate instructor Kathleen Garrity and her assistant Robbie. It was PHENOMENAL. There was so much participation and knowledge that this became one one of my personal favorites. I learned a little bit of self-defense in high school, but having a refresher course was nice.

We started off by working on our stance because the way you stand can either make you appear as an easy target or victim or less vulnerable by focusing all your energy and balancing yourself. It even gives you a confidence boost. We learned some basic moves such as the palm to the chin, pulling the attacker into your knee and even grabbing evasion tactics. Key tips are to have great timing, balance and get away from the attacker after you strike.

I was actually really surprised at a couple of things. One for sure was that we actually got physical. (I guess there is no better way than to do.) Secondly, we can do anything if we put our minds to it. Two girls with no extensive martial arts training actually got a chance to break boards. After only an hour of channeling their inner strengths, they were successful! It was insane and everyone cheered for them! Lastly, and the most important in my opinion, our voices are so powerful. With every strike, we make a sound, but the projection of that sound can startle someone. Using a strong, clear voice makes the attacker know that you are serious and confident in yourself. I think here at Cornell our voices can definitely help us get out of unsafe situations and I’m glad we had this workshop!

It was also pretty adorable that the House Professor’s son came in and gave demos and participated for a little bit. I definitely enjoyed this activity and hope there are more like it!