Original version

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

The Conversation

Factual: Life Stories

Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

BBC World Service

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service News Internet

The Conversation: Women and self defence

Magazines & Reviews

L:Catalina Carmona Balvin (credit: Andrés Epifanio Becerra García) and R: Susie Kahlich (credit: Sahand Zamani)

Women and self defence

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Women and self defence

Two women who teach self-defence skills tailored to women and girls

Two women who teach self-defence skills tailored to women and girls.

Empowering women with self-defence skills is the aim of our two guests, who have both adapted traditional martial arts to create classes for women. They tell Celia Hatton about the transformation they see in their students when they first realise their own strength, and the power of self defence to change lives. They also discuss the potential danger of putting the onus on women to deal with violence, rather than tackling the problem of the perpetrators.

Catalina Carmona Balvin runs The School of Self Defence for Women in Bogotá, Colombia, a country which has high levels of street harassment and domestic violence. Catalina teaches a form of Hapkido, a Korean martial art characterized by its emphasis on deflecting an opponent’s attacks instead of on forceful blocking, but she makes sure her classes provide a fun, safe environment, more inspired by salsa dancing than by hard-core, macho moves.

Susie Kahlich runs an organisation in Berlin called Pretty Deadly, which teaches self-defence courses tailored for women. Originally from the US, Susie turned to martial arts after she became a victim of violent crime in Los Angeles nearly 20 years go. Susie invites her students to wear whatever clothes they would usually wear, from long skirts to headscarves, in order to make the moves easily adaptable to everyday scenarios.

L: Catalina Carmona Balvin (credit: Andrés Epifanio Becerra García)
R: Susie Kahlich (credit: Sahand Zamani)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Conversation

Women and self defence

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

About BBC World Service