Ladies First Astoria Self-Defense Workshop Will Help Empower You to Feel Safe

Ladies First Astoria (LFA) is hosting the second workshop in their sexual harassment series, all about self-defense this Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at the International Training Center of New York. LFA is our neighborhood’s own community network of women supporting women, building personal and professional relationships to help inspire and lift each other up.

The series will be recurring every October, and focuses on issues involving and surrounding sexual harassment. Last year’s event was an impressive panel discussion addressing harassment on the street, in the workplace and in interpersonal relationships. The panel included a psychologist, attorney, HR specialist, Muay Thai practitioner, and member of Stop Street Harassment. They all shared tools to help diffuse each situation, process it, and defend oneself.

This year, Grace Aveen of GRL PWR NYC will be teaching the basics of self-defense: practical advice, warning signs, and physical self-defense moves.

Admission is a $5 suggested donation which will be made to Safe Horizons, a victim assistance organization. Tickets are available here on Eventbrite.

Some preview tips they’ve shared via social media include:

How to throw a punch while minimizing damage to yourself:

• Don’t expose your thumb.
• Don’t hide your thumb under your fingers either; this can lead to fracturing.

What to do when being approached by a potential attacker:

• If you’ve already been approached by a potential attacker, your first choice should be to escape or leave, as long as you can do so safely.
• REMEMBER: When walking or running away from a threat, maintain your awareness of the threat’s position and location. Keep your eye on the threat when possible, to make sure they’re not coming up behind you.
• I recommend that everyone try to incorporate running into their lives, with a goal of being able to run 10 minutes straight so that you can live in the comfort of knowing you have the ABILITY to run from a potentially dangerous situation if needs be.

Attend the class to learn much more! Information is power.

When: Saturday, October 12th from 3 to 5 p.m.
Location: International Training Center of New York
2-55 31st St, Queens, NY 11105
Cost: $5 (or more) donation on Eventbrite
*Please plan on wearing clothing suitable for movement*