Group photo with some of the happy Theta girls at their house.

Our latest community outreach was another great experience. It is always a pleasure to share the practical relevance of WingChun Self-Defense to new faces, fresh minds. On October 14, the oldest extant sorority and one of the largest at Cal, Kappa Alpha Theta, invited us over to their house to present the protective strategies of our unique system. Despite the pressure of mid-terms, almost 20 girls decided to participate in this introductory training workshop.

They were a focused and engaged audience who gave us their full attention and posed many thoughtful questions. As university students, their concerns mainly related to campus safety and residence security. In as clear terms as possible, our goal was to address these contexts through logical explanations and specific demonstrations. After everyone heard the simple theory and saw the smart power of WingChun, they were ready to feel the direct action.

We anaylzed several common scenarios in order to illustrate a flexible and effective plan to nullify intent attackers. This centered on not waiting or being reactive, but rather making assertive counters. Astute learners, the Thetas immediately grasped the relevance of this proactive approach when confronting dangerous threats. Considering the limited time we had, all did great. It was satisfying to see each girl walk away with greater knowledge and confidence.

Hopefully, we’ll have further opportunities to build upon this beginning. Even though key Self-Defense points were communicated, in order to become fully assured that such skills will be successfully applied in real emergencies, additional practice is necessary. And that’s what we consistently offer through our defined curriculum. Special thanks to Anita Lim who skillfully coordinated and promoted the workshop and also to IAW-US Headquarters students Norm Waleedej, Brandon Solano, and Megan Hemmerle, whose friendly support was extremely helpful.