By Malak Khaled
Recently, girls decided to come forward and use social media to present evidence against Ahmed Bassam Zaki, accusing him of harassment, blackmailing, and sexually assaulting them. The past few days have made us realize how, as far back as any of us can remember, girls have been feeling unsafe to roam the streets freely due to what they might face, from milder forms of harassment to full-on violence and abuse. But now it’s time for this to end. It’s time for all of us, men and women alike, to take a stand against such disgusting behavior. We’re also realizing how crucial it is to learn how to defend ourselves.
To find out more about the importance of self-defense training, we got in touch with Coach Mahmoud ElHashash, founder and head coach of Hashash Kickboxing and Fitness Academy. He recently posted a video demonstrating how a girl could protect herself from being subjected to harassment while walking on the street.
Why is it important for women to take self-defense classes?
Girls aren’t usually confident, some boys aren’t either. Girls always think that ‘this is a man, he’s going to hit me because he’s stronger’ but that’s not true. And yes, muscles give strength and power but fighting doesn’t really depend on how big or strong you are. For example, some people think that the weakest point in the body is the nose but it’s actually the chin.
If girls knew how to fight and were confident enough while fighting with no thoughts or doubts about the level of harm they could or couldn’t cause the harasser, they would be able to knock him down- only if they believe in themselves. This happens, of course, by training on many techniques, but if we’re talking generally there are a lot of places that once hit, they would cause damage, enough to buy time for the girl to escape.
How important is it to be mentally aware during an attack?
Just because she’s a trained kick-boxer, doesn’t mean that she could manage the situation or behave the way she should, sometimes if the element of surprise was present she wouldn’t be able to do anything which is why girls should always be aware to their surroundings while walking, they also have to be prepared and very well trained on different techniques.
For all the men out there, you have a role; and that is protecting the girls in the street, if you see anything sketchy go ask, go stand up for her. But for all the ladies, it’s time for us to take a step forward, don’t wait for someone to save you, you should be your own savior, your own knight. It’s time to learn how to deal with these assaulters and rapists who are out there with no ethics and no morals, trying to take advantage of us. Watch different self-defense videos, train with your friends or siblings, advise others, and be strong.
