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My first exposure to "self-defense" was in a women's karate class in 1978. Not knowing what to expect, I tagged
along with several co-workers. I went partly out of curiosity and partly for adventure. But when I look back, I realize that
something deep in my being must have also drawn me to that first class because I've continued to participate over the years
in the martial arts and the movement to end assaults against women, children and other groups targeted for violence.
My commitment to women's self-defense and martial arts practice (now centered on kungfu, taiji and qigong) led me down
separate paths. The cultural context of my martial art is important to me and its practice continues to enrich my life in
many ways. One benefit is that it has made me a better self-defense teacher. However, the foundation of my self-defense programs
for women are not about martial arts.
In 1979, several members of my first karate class (including myself) started FIST (Feminists In Self-defense Training)
in Olympia, WA because we wanted greater freedom to develop programs accessible to larger numbers of women. Martial art training
was costly, time consuming and unrealistic for many. Its emphasis on physical skills did not apply to the full scope of violence
women faced. Many women did not feel that it met their needs for prevention and avoidance.
FIST was founded on the belief that women of all ages, sizes, physical abilities, and cultural and economic backgrounds,
have the right and ability to defend themselves successfully. Its programs differed from most self-defense programs by being
based on women's experiences with violence, learning self-defense, and resisting assault successfully. They empowered women
to trust their instincts and use their abilities.
In FIST's classes, we consistently found that most women, including ourselves, have encountered some form of violence
in our lives and most have stories to tell about successful escapes. Women shared a wide range of strategies that worked for
them. The testimonials and generalizations about women in my book come from my experience and that of other FIST teachers
working with women on assault prevention. I wish all women could be in my place to hear all the stories women tell because
I am sure that then, women would share my conviction that we are all capable of defending ourselves with success.
Adapted from the introduction of Self-defense: the Womanly Art of Self-care, Intuition and Choice by Debbie Leung
For a copy of Self-Defense: The Womanly Art of Self-Care, Intuition, and Choice, visit
The Book
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