The Will To

T H R E E (third time's a charm)

 "Around eighty percent of attacks against women are by someone they know versus a stranger. That's one in five. Out of every five attacks, only one will be from a stranger."

Talia glanced around the muggy gym studio, dragging her eyes across all twelve of us as we stretched and caught our breath. After she scanned us again to ensure her statement had sunk in, she pushed back her greying, cropped hair and crossed her arms.

I'd heard this speech before.

"Assaults happen everyday, and the harsh reality is that the victims typically know their assailants—family, friends, coworkers, school peers," Talia continued. "I'm not saying attacks don't happen in dark parking lots by someone you've never seen before, but more often than not, they're going to happen in everyday situations and will be committed by nonstrangers."

Dropping my chin to my lap, I pressed the soles of my feet together and stretched in the butterfly pose, feeling my quadricep muscles lengthen.

"Modern self-defense should take into consideration everyday situations, as, I'm assuming, most of you live everyday lives." Talia bit the corner of her lip and sighed sharply. "Okay, listen. I could teach all of you how to properly deliver a swift kick to the groin and make it look effortless—and I will. But self-defense is about much more than that, especially nowadays. It's about being aware, being assertive, and setting boundaries. All of those things act as a defense towards unwanted behavior."

A hand shot in the air.

"Yeah," Talia nodded.

"I don't have problems setting boundaries," a woman sitting perfectly straight with an upturned nose stated, "I have no problem telling my male coworkers when they're being out of line. What I'm here for is to learn how to subdue an attacker."

"And you will. This is a four month program, and we're going to cover all of that—you'll learn hammer strikes, elbow strikes, how to get out of all kinds of holds—but that's only part of what this class is about, because all of that is only part of what happens in the real world of assault."

The woman who'd spoken leaned back on her palms as Talia went on. "How many of you have had to fend off unwanted attention simply walking to and from someplace—the grocery store, works, school—comments or looks that made you uncomfortable?" Though no one confirmed or denied, the air in the room grew dense. "That's what this class is about. Learning techniques to stop that kind of harassment in its tracks, especially before it escalates any further." Talia paused. "This class will focus on all the ways in which you may need to defend yourself."

I caught my reflection in the wall mirror. My freckled cheeks were rosy from exertion as we'd spent the first forty-five minutes of class getting acclimated by completing a cardio warmup along with a series of kicks and punches. I'd always enjoyed the first class. There was an air of unspoken nerves that shifted towards comradery near the end of the lesson. Plus, I liked seeing the self defense class full.

"Alright, that's all I've got," Talia said. "I hope to see you all next week."

The women in the room stood to their feet as a muffled chatter bounced around the studio. A few clumped together and trickled out the side door. After pushing back a few strands of hair, I leapt to my feet and pulled my arms over my head in a stretch.

"I wasn't sure what to think when I saw your name on my roster this morning."

Lowering my arms, I glanced at Talia who had an eyebrow arched. "You'd have missed me."

"Probably," she said as I walked towards her. "I'd definitely have missed the sheer amount of snark that enters my room whenever you're here."

"I aim to please."