Three years ago I was attacked by two young men. I was out running in broad daylight alongside a busy road full of Friday evening commuters. The attack came from behind, so I didn’t see it coming. Their purpose in this attack was strictly to do bodily harm and humiliate a female. An attack can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. I froze in place, unable to move. My mind was telling my body to move, but I couldn’t; I was in shock. Over the next year, my physical wounds healed, but this incident had left a more painful wound to my emotional side. The fear that overtook me, left me feeling that every person I encountered could be a possible threat. We searched for different ways to make me feel safe, but nothing was working. My son saw an ad for something called Krav Maga. He said, “Mom, that’s exactly what you need!”. That following Saturday, my husband forced me go to this free class. It’s been almost a year since that day. Krav Maga has changed my life. The instructors have given me the tools I need to protect and defend myself. More importantly, as a mother of three, my children have seen me transform a horrible attack into a positive situation. They see their Mother, with a renewed sense of self-esteem and confidence, facing her fears.
-Dawn P.