I learned quite a few self defense techniques today with Kyaw Thein. She taught us some basic self defense moves, such as how to escape if someone grabs your wrist, or if someone presses you against a wall. Besides teaching us how to protect ourselves physically, she also told us the importance of balance and awareness of our surroundings. For example, we should stand in shoulder-width wide stance, even when we are standing idly and not being attacked. This prevents us from being caught off-guard and losing our balance. Although we are accustomed to listening to music and walking around with our headphones, it is potentially dangerous, so when walking in unfamiliar places or at night, it is better to take out our headphones and stay alert. 

This workshop showed that self defense isn’t hard, and a large part of it is simply using your eyes and ears and making sure that you know where you are and where to find help. A lot of what she taught us are easy to learn, which shows that self defense can be learned by various people, regardless of age or gender.