Today we started with the 5th day of our training program for this batch of 170 girls.
Each of our sessions is broken down into four parts – Karate Training, Practical Application, an Activity for Home, and Awareness Talks.
During training, I could also see a new kind of energy in the group. Girls who were shy on Day 1 now shouted “Kiai!” with confidence. Some who used to hold back in the corner were now coming to the front, ready to demonstrate. It felt like their voices were getting louder, their stances stronger, and their spirits lighter with each passing day.
One of the girls also volunteered to help conduct the warm-up activities.
In the last session, we had asked the girls to think of all possible ways they could escape if someone caught them by the neck or from behind.
And oh my.. when they shared their answers today, I was blown away. Each girl had come up with her own solution – some thought of stamping feet, others of twisting their bodies quickly, some even used their school bags as shields.
It wasn’t about whether their moves were perfect. It was about the fact that they were thinkin, thinking about their safety, about being alert and not freezing in fear. That eagerness, that creativity, showed me that they were beginning to take ownership of their own defence.
We ended today’s session with a small awareness talk on the importance of trusting your instincts and how that “gut feeling” is often your first line of defence. I could see the girls nodding, some even whispering stories to each other of when they had felt unsafe but ignored the feeling.
Today I learnt that courage isn’t something you teach, it grows from within.
Even the smallest steps, like a girl volunteering to lead warm-ups or finding her own unique way to escape a grip, are powerful signs of real empowerment.