KARACHI: A four-day self-defence workshop for women ended at the Japan Information and Culture Centre on Friday, where participants were schooled in martial arts and self-defence techniques.

Present at the closing ceremony was MNA Arif Alvi, who spoke about the importance of improving physical fitness and confidence building, which, he added, was unfortunately neglected by citizens of Karachi as there were hardly any places which facilitated physical fitness activities.

Organised by the Pakistan Martial Arts Association, more than 200 women from various educational institutes participated in the workshop to learn self-defence skills.

The main purpose behind the workshop was to empower women to face and tackle threats that they might face when out and about in the real world.

Physical fitness, Mr Alvi said, helped in attaining spiritual fitness, which would help make society a better place and also establish law and order for all.

“Physical strength and a superior thought process should be used together to establish yourself in society and in extension make it a better place for all. Stand by your principles, work by your principles and fight for your principles,” he told the young girls present there.

He also stressed how important it was to empower women in Pakistan so that they could reclaim public spaces where they feel safe and secure. “In buses or in bazaars, women must feel safe. This workshop must have helped you gain internal strength and confidence.”

He also spoke about how the Japanese culture had inspired him. “I have seen that there is a resistance among the Japanese and that they do not step on the rights of others, which is something we must also practise.”

According to teachers and students present at the workshop, the training helped them gain mastery over their fear and handle threats.

In order to control such a situation, one must be able to gain control over oneself first. This required dedication, motivation and perseverance, and the women were taught several techniques to resort to when faced with danger.

At the closing ceremony of the workshop, Toshikazu Isomura, Consul General of Japan in Karachi, showed his concern about street crime situations in the metropolis, expressing his hope that the participants keenly got the awareness of self-defence. He also elaborated how empowering women was essential and would benefit society at large.

When faced with an armed individual, witnessing street crime, or even being attacked from behind, trainers at the workshop broke down the entire process of self-defence over the four days and taught the participants how to help themselves as well as get help from their surroundings when in danger.

Not only were trained individuals used to demonstrate this, but volunteers were also part of the depiction which helped everyone understand the subtleties of self-defence better. Some of the popular techniques taught were the half nelson and full nelson which outlined the positioning of the arms to overcome the attacker. Gun disarmament techniques were also taught considering that muggings in Karachi were an ever looming threat.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2017