'Fight the Fear' campaign kicks off self-defense sessions
SEATTLE -- On most Sundays, Seattle's Century ballroom is a gentle kind of place.
But this week, it was filled with the sounds of women learning self defense.
Scores of women were celebrating the kick-off of the "Fight the Fear" campaign, by learning how to fend-off an attacker.
"Fight the Fear" is a result of the community response to the murder of South Park resident Teresa Butz, and the assault of her partner.
"Teresa's partner felt that providing self-defense training for women in the city would be an amazingly positive outcome from a horrendous situation," said Melinda Johnson, Executive Director of the campaign.
Johnson is head instructor at Seattle Ka-ju-ken-bo, a martial arts school. She's working with some pretty powerful women, including singer Brandi Carlile.
"And now that the fear is starting to wear off, I want to find a way to be progressive about fighting that fear," Carlile said. "Because nothing good comes from fear."
Fight the Fear is bringing free self-defense training to at-risk and under-served women.
"Homeless youth, homeless women, domestic violence centers, the Senior Center in West Seattle, the LGBQ community, just to name a few," said Seattle Police Detective Kim Bogucki.
Bogucki said all those organizations were passions of Teresa Butz. And Carlile's foundation is helping to pay for the program.
"Between me, and the Indigo Girls,and a few local people, we found a way to make it happen," Carlile said. "So now, our only goal is to get the service to the people who need it".
Seattle self-defense pioneer Py Bateman says fundraising is key.
"Those are skills that are really important. And a difficult position to be in".
And now may be the right time. Bateman says in the 1970's, when she started Alternatives to Fear as a response to Ted Bundy's attacks, she ran into a lot of resistance. But now, she says, women know it's OK to fight back.
"They know that they can get hit, and not die….immediately!"
And Carlile says Fight the Fear will build on the work of Bateman, and others.
"We get to be mentored by them in a way, that may make this one (this self defense program) stick around for a while."
You can learn more by visiting http://fightthefearcampaign.com/
But this week, it was filled with the sounds of women learning self defense.
Scores of women were celebrating the kick-off of the "Fight the Fear" campaign, by learning how to fend-off an attacker.
"Fight the Fear" is a result of the community response to the murder of South Park resident Teresa Butz, and the assault of her partner.
"Teresa's partner felt that providing self-defense training for women in the city would be an amazingly positive outcome from a horrendous situation," said Melinda Johnson, Executive Director of the campaign.
Johnson is head instructor at Seattle Ka-ju-ken-bo, a martial arts school. She's working with some pretty powerful women, including singer Brandi Carlile.
"And now that the fear is starting to wear off, I want to find a way to be progressive about fighting that fear," Carlile said. "Because nothing good comes from fear."
Fight the Fear is bringing free self-defense training to at-risk and under-served women.
"Homeless youth, homeless women, domestic violence centers, the Senior Center in West Seattle, the LGBQ community, just to name a few," said Seattle Police Detective Kim Bogucki.
Bogucki said all those organizations were passions of Teresa Butz. And Carlile's foundation is helping to pay for the program.
"Between me, and the Indigo Girls,and a few local people, we found a way to make it happen," Carlile said. "So now, our only goal is to get the service to the people who need it".
Seattle self-defense pioneer Py Bateman says fundraising is key.
"Those are skills that are really important. And a difficult position to be in".
And now may be the right time. Bateman says in the 1970's, when she started Alternatives to Fear as a response to Ted Bundy's attacks, she ran into a lot of resistance. But now, she says, women know it's OK to fight back.
"They know that they can get hit, and not die….immediately!"
And Carlile says Fight the Fear will build on the work of Bateman, and others.
"We get to be mentored by them in a way, that may make this one (this self defense program) stick around for a while."
You can learn more by visiting http://fightthefearcampaign.com/