In Hérault, an 80-year-old woman has put two burglars to flight thanks to her talents in martial arts. What make us want to switch to feminist self-defense.
On November 17, 2020, two 21-year-old men living in Frontignan, in Hérault, tried to rob an 80-year-old woman, reports France Blue. But the burglars got a nasty surprise. The octogenarian did not let it go and this martial arts follower managed to scare them away, without any help. According to the "badass" victim, one of the thugs, who was decked out in a motorcycle helmet, would have rang at his door, then he would have placed his semi-automatic pistol (which was not found) on his temple, claiming money and jewelry. "She gave him a big knee kick in the testicles first, then punched him several times. This Agathoise struggles as much as she can as he tries to control her.", explains France Bleu. Because yes, the lady is a martial arts pro. Following this catch, she alerted the neighborhood by shouting and three people came to her aid.
The assailant joined his accomplice and the two fled on a stolen motorcycle. On Wednesday, December 2, the burglar, who had already been sentenced five times, including three years in prison for aggravated theft, surrendered himself to the Agde police station. His partner had, meanwhile, been arrested earlier in the week by the police. They remain in pre-trial detention pending trial. The fighting octogenarian suffers from hand injuries.
Feminist self-defense, a practice to know
This unusual case reminds us that knowing how to defend oneself is a necessity. In 2018, Ifop revealed that eight in ten French women (81%) have already been confronted with at least one form of sexual assault or assault in the street or on public transport. Based on this premise, many associations and structures offer self-defense courses. "Female self-defense is part of a process of questioning the gender order, which establishes that the feminine would be like this and the masculine like that", explains a France Culture program on this topic. In addition to learning martial arts movements, a female / feminist self-defense course also allows students to learn to say no, to shout, to know how to set limits and to develop bonds of solidarity between women.
The courses are given in the form of internships which last either a few hours or a few days, and which are led by trained facilitators. Different methods exist. In Quebec, for example, "fem do chi" brings together physical learning, verbal and emotional techniques, notions of relaxation and well-being. In France, the Riposte method is one of the most prominent. It is based on physical and verbal techniques, taught in the form of role plays and scenarios, we can read on the site of the journal S! Lence. Want to get started? Structures like, SISTA, LORELEÏ and FaireFace are waiting for you.