Affirmations and Mejishi Martial Arts have partnered up to offer a one-day intensive safety and self-defense training on May 15 from 1-5 p.m. at Mejishi Martial Arts Studio in Ferndale. The class is being offered to assist members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities who have an increased risk of being victimized.
"In addition to other violence prevalent in our culture, as lesbian, gay, bi and transgender people, we could also be the targets of hate crimes," said Jaye Spiro, owner of Mejishi Martial Arts.
The training aims to provide an informative, fun and empowering environment for learning how to prevent and handle potentially threatening situations. "We will discuss where we face risk and sharpen our awareness of potentially violent situations," Spiro added. "Then we will examine a wide range of options to manage violence, including verbal tactics and escape techniques."
The class will also include last-resort fight and flight strategies.
Jaye Spiro is a sixth degree black belt in Karate, fifth degree black belt in Filipino Stick Fighting and is the director of Mejishi Martial Arts in Ferndale. She has conducted personal safety training for over 35 years and was the 2005 recipient of the Sports Award at the 20th annual Pride Banquet.
Reservations for the class can be made online at http://www.goaffirmations.org. For more information about the class, contact Kathleen LaTosch at 248-398-7105.
