Self-defense is taught and interpreted in many different ways. From mixed martial arts to weapon training, there are in-person and online self-defense classes taught worldwide. Nesibe Akgun practices and teaches Hapkido, which is a Korean form of martial arts that focuses on self-defense techniques. For Akgun, Hapkido has been part of her life for a long time and has taught her very helpful ways to keep herself safe as well as a way to stay active. She taught self-defense courses at Indiana University for a couple of years and now works in the Optometry department at IU and now teaches in her free time.
Akgun talks about the importance of self-defense for women as well. In the class that she taught at the Indiana Memorial Union it was all women that signed up which is common. In just this semester at IU there have been 19 reported sexual assaults on campus. Akgun wants to teach everyone about Habkido and self-defense but as a woman teaching mostly women she believes she sets up a good representation for her students.
Interview with Self-Defense Instructor Nesibe Akgun.
Elisabeth Melms is a Junior at Indiana University. She is the director of the Union Board’s Mind and Body Committee. Melms has worked for the Union Board for two years now and invited Akgun to teach a self-defense class while she was still a professor at IU. It was informative and fun for the people who attended the first class and they continued to invite her back each semester according to Melms. Melms says they plan on having more self-defense classes taught by Akgun at the IMU for students in future semesters. She says that she learns something new each time Akgun comes to teach through the Union Board.
The Union Board offer’s a variety of classes that you can sign up for or show up to the day of.
Interview with Director of the Union Board’s Mind and Body Committee, Elisabeth Melms.
The event was posted on BeInvolved which is a website for IU Students to find clubs and events on campus to attend throughout the year. The self-defense class was posted with the graphic below, a heel kicking a man in the face. You are encouraged to RSVP on the website but they do accept people that walk in and RSVP there. It was located in the Dogwood Room at the IMU which is usually reserved for clubs but not typically a physical activity space.
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