Women's Self-Defence Workshop

Rencounter are running a women's self-defence workshop at the North Merchiston Club on Saturday 28 November, from 12:30 to 15:30. It's for anyone aged 16 and up, and the whole thing is built around helping women feel safer and more confident when it comes to managing boundaries and personal safety.

What sets this one apart from a standard self-defence class is how it's split. Roughly half the time goes to physical training, and the other half to non-physical work. The physical side covers the practicals: dealing with grabs and holds, and how to use physical force to break free. The non-physical side looks at the things that happen before a situation ever gets physical — boundary setting and situational awareness. They also talk through instinctive responses, including the freeze response, so you're not caught off guard by how your own body might react in the moment. Rencounter describe the session as engaging and surprisingly fun, rather than just a drill.

Two instructors lead the day, both licensed with 500 Rising. Sarah MacLeod is Rencounter's Acting Head Instructor, and Mary Abernethy is a 4th Dan Karate Black Belt under the British Combat Karate Association and a member of the National Federation for Personal Safety. Abernethy has spent time teaching self-protection to young women in India with the organisation FairFight, so there's a fair bit of real-world experience behind the session.

It runs from 12:30 to 15:30 at the North Merchiston Club, 48 Watson Crescent, Edinburgh South EH11 1EP. Tickets are £45, with a £25 concession available, and there's a no-questions-asked concession if you need it.