As a strong, independent woman, Claire Willats knows the value of self-defense. On more than one occasion, she has had to protect herself from attacks by men, and once even an entire group of them. She held her own, however, and now the story survives as a testament to her skills.

“One time, I refused attention from a man in a club and he tried to drag me outside,” explains Willats. “I tried to reason with him at first to avoid confrontation but sadly had to resort to defending myself. I am quite sure he will think twice before trying something like that again.”

Born and raised in London, UK, Willats moved to Beijing with her husband and two sons two and a half years ago, after having lived in Bahrain, Thailand, the Philippines, and Qatar. What’s more, wherever Willats has traveled to and lived, she has taught self-defense classes to her community and friends.

“Teaching people – particularly women and girls – how to defend themselves is something I have always done. In each country we have lived in, some friends would find out about my ability and ask me to teach small workshops for themselves or their children.”

Willats shared the startling statistic that, according to UN Women, one in three women are attacked globally and that these attacks are most commonly against those between the ages of 15 and 24. Many of Willats’ students are youths who are becoming more independent and planning to leave home for further studies, but whose parents often worry that they may face, let’s say unsafe situations. To prepare them fully for such scenarios, these parents call on Willats.

“I feel strongly that everyone should know a few basic moves that will enable them to break free from a grab or pin and know how to respond to unwanted physical contact. I think it’s fantastic for anyone to learn at any age because it doesn’t just mean you have the ability to defend yourself, but it also improves your awareness in a potentially bad situation and identify what is inappropriate attention.”

To be clear, Willats’ workshops are not about learning to get into the ring and fight with what will no doubt be a bigger and stronger aggressor. Her classes focus on how to disengage someone trying to grab, pin down, or drag you, in order to buy time and get away as quickly as possible.

“I ensure that you leave my class with enough confidence not to be intimidated when faced with an unpleasant situation,” Willats promises.

Willats has been training in various martial arts, including karate, jujitsu, aikido, Kudo, and even weapons, since the tender age of 5. She was joined by her sister in those trainings as well.

“I think my father must have been an early feminist because he placed my sister and I into martial arts training from the age of 5 to ensure that we would always be able to protect ourselves. It’s the best gift he could have given us!”

If you are interested to find out more about Willats’ next self-defense class, scan the QR code below for more details!

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Images: Courtesy of Claire Willats