I came home from school, changed quickly, and rushed for self-defence training. It had been a long day, but the thought of my friends waiting gave me energy to keep going.
We began with our usual warm-ups, blocks, and punches, only now the reps had increased, and every move pushed us harder. My hands ached, my legs felt heavy, but when we finished, exhaustion turned into strength.
During the awareness talk on good and bad touch, the girls listened intently, their eyes wide, as they quietly reshaped how they saw the world.
Afterwards, a girl approached me. She was short for her age, and with a shy smile, she said, “People think girls like me, short and thin, cannot really defend themselves. But today, I feel like I can.” Her words stayed with me. They reminded me that strength is not measured in height or size, but in courage and belief.
Somewhere between the drills, the talks, and these moments, I realised – this no longer feels like training. It feels like a transformation.
This is a glimpse of of our training sessions: