Some years ago, I answered the phone to a hysterical woman with a strong American accent. Between her accent and her tears, I was unable to understand what she was saying apart from “I was raped.” A young backpacker, she had taken 12 months off her job as an airline attendant and had bought herself a Round the World ticket. After three months of travel, she had been enjoying a slow week in a South American country. After all the other bus passengers had alighted from their daily tour, the tour guide raped the young woman in the aisle of … Continue reading →

While sitting here tonight pretending to be a highly observant Kendo Mum, I am reminded of the link between self-defense and personal safety. Many protective behavior programs advocate for fight back. If you are grabbed by a stranger while, you are on the street, in the park, or in your back yard; fight back and scream. Of course, structured self-defense would be the ideal, but, if like me, when you are in crisis you forget everything you are supposed to do, you won’t remember the structure and therefore, any old fight back will do. Most forms of self-defense and marshal … Continue reading →