By Tanya Steele
Women in Belgrave had the opportunity to learn life-saving self-defence techniques designed to empower and build confidence on Wednesday 5 February.
Taekwondo and self-defence were on the menu for local women at the Belgrave Scout Hall with a specialised workshop provided at a small cost.
Hosted by Mothers of the Hills (MotHs) and thanks to grant funding, President Belinda Young said the group was determined to help women feel safe, connected and confident to exercise and socialise in the community.
“Mums around Australia, but especially here in Victoria were shaken by the disappearance of Ballarat mum, Samantha Murphy while on her run in February last year,” she said.
“We suddenly felt vulnerable and questioned whether it was safe for us to exercise in our community – shutting ourselves away to avoid potential danger however only causes isolation.”
Led by David, a qualified Taekwondo instructor the participants were taught a range of practical self-defence skills and learned simple yet effective self-defence moves tailored for real-world situations.
The class also covered key topics such as situational awareness, how to react in threatening scenarios, and confidence-building tips to stay safe in everyday life.
Attendee Janet from Boronia said she came along because she wanted to feel safe in her community.
“There are people who are invading people’s space and hurting innocent people,” she said.
Clare from Emerald said the course content drew her in because she wanted to feel more confident.
“I want to have better situational awareness and feel like I could protect my kids,” she said.
Belgrave Mum Natalie said she wants to be a good mum to her daughter and be able to protect her in various situations.
“Whether we’re at the football on a train platform – it’s having more knowledge and skills to add to the repertoire,” she said.
“I loved the hands-on approach so we could test it. If we weren’t doing it quite right, we were corrected and got the chance to do it more than once.”
Janet and Clare said they gained some vital techniques.
“It was outstanding – we learned such simple things that you can use straight away,” she said.
“There were very practical techniques that we could take away today,” said Clare.
Ms Young said MotHs is grateful for the grant funding they received for the courses.
“We are especially grateful to David and Jo from Upwey Taekwondo for facilitating them,” she said.
Ms Young said the group learned were invaluable at the Wednesday session.
“One day after the anniversary of Samantha’s disappearance, Samantha was well and truly in our hearts and thoughts today,” said Ms Young.
Another two hour session is scheduled for Monday 10 February from 7pm to 9pm at the Belgrave South Scout Hall at 26 Station Street, Belgrave. Attendees can register via the MotHs website for a small cost of $5.50.
