Q: What’s my best self-defense move?

The first move you learn in self defense is not a punch, a block, or a knee to the groin. The first move is to get away. De-escalate the situation, extricate yourself, and get home safely, if you can.

Alex van Dijk is a 1st degree black belt in Budokan Karate and has studied all over the world, including South America, Singapore, Malaysia, and the U.S. He has 40+ years “under his belt” and has condensed his knowledge and experience into a 90-minute seminar to teach women and girls how to do just that.

“Sometimes you can’t. When I was 14, I was a brown belt and ran into a bully at a public swimming pool. He was big, used to getting his way. He grabbed my swim goggles and taunted me. As I’d been taught, I let him have them and walked away. He wasn’t through. Later in the locker room, he cornered me and escalated the situation. I had no choice—I broke his nose to get away.

“I have two daughters and, frankly, I’m worried about their safety. Today’s headlines always scream ‘Woman Raped!’ … ‘Woman Attacked!’ Rarely does it read Man Rapes or Man Attacks. We need to change that social narrative and put the focus where it belongs. In the meantime, I have a 90-minute, women-only seminar to empower women to get home safely.”

The first 30 minutes, Alex spends on minimizing vulnerability. The next 60, he spends on acting out scenarios. “I’m insured as an Ambulant Instructor and I come to you. No uniforms, no belts, no studios. I hold my seminars in schools, corporate offices, gyms, and private homes.”

It’s 90 minutes! To get home safe? Isn’t that a bargain you can live with? Sign up. You’re worth defending.