The news of a, where woman taking out her garbage was taken into her home and sexually assaulted by a stranger on April 3 was a 鈥渢ipping point鈥� for instructor Leo van den Boogaard.
The 59-year-old, who has run karate classes out of the Douglas Recreation Centre for the past 25 years and is the third longest active Kyokushin Karate member in Western Canada, says he is driven to empower women.
This is why he is teaching women鈥檚 self defence classes at the centre on three consecutive Saturdays starting May 19.
Registration through the Douglas Recreation Centre is $30 per person. Call 604-514-2865 to sign up for the classes.
Save for the administration component, all registration money will be donated directly to the 91原创-based, which has a vision of providing 鈥渟upportive services to assist women, children and men who have experienced abuse.鈥�
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鈥淚 spoke to the people at Ishtar and I really believe in their philosophy and what they鈥檙e trying to provide to the community,鈥� van den Boogaard said. 鈥淪o I can see developing a relationship and a partnership with them going into the future, where we are going to support them.鈥�
For the past decade, the club has offered a monthly, one-day-only self defence class for women.
Now, van den Boogaard is expanding the program.
鈥淭his is the first time that we鈥檙e going to do it over a three-week period, so we can spend more time on technique and strategy,鈥� van den Boogaard said.
Van den Boogaard said these classes will be as much about equipping women with confidence as they are about self defence.
Kyokushin student Sandy Pilkey shares that she has been a victim of violence, and learning martial arts has built her up in different ways.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important to feel that we know how to defend ourselves and we have the confidence to defend ourselves,鈥� she said.
Van den Boogaard has two daughters and three granddaughters and 鈥渨ants to level the playing field.鈥�
鈥淲hen I hear about assaults against women, I want to empower these women, No. 1, to be aware to be astute enough to be aware and avoid (assaults), but in a situation where they can鈥檛 avoid them and they are being assaulted, that they can do something about it鈥� where they can protect themselves.鈥�
