Learning self-defence is not about changing your behaviour so perpetrators don’t have to change theirs. It is not a solution to what is a systemic and societal issue – the onus is, and solely should be, on the perpetrators. We shouldn’t have to learn self-defence to be safe. Period. But having an interest in learning is OK too, and that interest should be your prerogative, there to empower you.
Most people who learn self-defence do so either because they want to have the skills to protect themselves if they are faced with violence one day, or because they have already faced it and never want it to happen again. It’s also fair to say that violence towards women and marginalised genders is disproportionately high, so many people learn self-defence because they think violence against them is not only possible, but likely. However, it’s very important when learning these skills
