CREDIT: MATT ROSEHART
Fanshawe is hosting a two day Wen-Do Women's Self Defence course on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28. The mental and physical course will teach participants valuable and longlasting skills in case they are ever in need of them.

Over the weekend of Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, Fanshawe will be running a Wen-Do Women’s Self Defence course.

The course covers both physical and verbal techniques for those who identify as women (or gender neutral) to prevent sexual assault. What differentiates Wen-Do from other women’s self defence classes is that there is no physical requirements. The course is also accommodating to those with disabilities. The verbal portion of the class includes calming, reasoning, negotiating, distracting, surprising or confronting an attacker, depending on the situation. While the physical portion, includes blocks, strikes, releases from holds, defence against weapons, and defences against multiple attackers.

The total course length is 15 hours long. There are 20 slots available admission being $20 at the Biz booth in the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) building. Lunches will be provided.

Wen-Do Women’s Self Defence is a registered charity and is Canada’s longest running self defence program for women. The instructor of [Fanshawe’s] event is Deb Chard. She has been an educator and activist with Wen-Do Women’s Self Defence since 1988. She is a senior instructor, teaching the basic, intermediate, advanced and instructor training program.

“Statistically the first eight weeks is when we usually see a spike in sexual violence on campus. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not happening all year,” Fanshawe’s sexual violence prevention advisor, Leah Marshall said. “People of all gender indications and [non-conforming] gender identities experience sexual violence. We [know] that women identified folks experience sexual violence at higher rates.”

According to the government of Ontario and Ontario.ca’s It’s Never Okay: An Action Plan To Stop Sexual Violence And Harassment (March 2015). One in three women will experience some form of sexual assault in her lifetime. Sexual assault victimization rates are five times higher for women under 35. In three quarters of sexual assaults the survivor knows their attacker. Shockingly in Canada, out of every one thousand sexual assaults, only 33 are reported to police and only three of those lead to a conviction. “One of the keys to this program and why we are bringing this to our campus is that it doesn’t self-blame,” Jahmoyia Smith, FSU’s Advocacy and Communications Co-ordinator said. “Even if you’re in a high pressure situation and you are not able to implement these moves or use these moves, it’s encouraged that it is okay. Don’t blame yourself. Whatever happens to you is not your fault.”

The Wen-Do course is a trial run. If students continue to show interest in the future to participate, more classes may become available.

“We want students to engage with the material that feels best for them and also know that there is more than one way to get information… If you feel that engaging in the self defence piece isn’t the best fit for you there are other ways to engage in the material and that’s okay. That is why we have a variety of programs,” Marshall said. If you are a survivor of sexual violence and are seeking help please feel free to contact Leah Marshall in room F2010 or via email lkmarshall@Fanshawec.ca.