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from the October, 2014 issue of Kiai!
Violence Prevention Program Update
By Senpai Amy Jones
2nd Degree Black Belt and Violence Prevention & Self-Defense Program Manager
Many Kiai! readers know by now that I’m the incoming Program Manager for Violence Prevention and Self-Defense here at Thousand Waves. I’ve been training at Thousand Waves for a little over a year, having landed from Austin in the summer of 2013. I started training at Sun Dragon (Thousand Waves’ sister school) in 2001, and earned my 2nd degree black belt in Seido Karate in 2010. I started teaching self-defense in 2005. In 2008, I decided to find a way to make violence prevention my life’s work.
At TW's Back to School Safety Workshop, the kids use their
voices to back up their powerful techniques, and their
rapt gazes never leave Sei Shihan's face.
In the past month, we’ve done four programs. The Chicago Health Corps kicked the month off with a class here at Thousand Waves. Around 15 (mostly) young adults showed up to learn the fundamentals of personal safety as they embarked on an adventure working in healthcare settings around the city.
Next, training member and parent Sheila Hanley hosted a self-defense class at her home as part of a party meant to build community and strengthen parental involvement at her kids’ school.
The very next day, Thousand Waves hosted a free community workshop for kids aged 8-11, taught by Sei Shihan Nancy. It was a full house with a waiting list, so we’re looking at having another one in early 2015.
Finally, staff from Ounce of Prevention and some of the organizations they support came to the Center for a 3-hour workshop. “The Ounce,” as they sometimes call themselves, is an organization dedicated to providing support to children from birth to 5 years old, and many staffers who took the workshop make home visits as a regular part of their job – which means they’re often going into unknown situations. Learning how to accurately assess risk in these settings is important to them.
At Thousand Waves, we’re passionate about getting life-enhancing and potentially life-saving self-defense skills into the hands (and bodies) of as many people as possible. Got an idea for an organization or group of people who might be interested in self-defense training? Contact me and let’s talk about it!