I taught a Women’s Self-Defense class this past Wednesday.
It’s a free event designed to equip, empower, and prepare the women of our community to protect themselves against bigger, stronger, and faster assailants.
I’ll teach fundamental self-defense strategies, effective strikes from a variety of positions, and how to properly respond against chokes, grabs, bear hugs, etc—all while being surrounded by a respectful, uplifting community of supportive women.
I’ve been leading this session for years and have settled (remember this word) into a curriculum that I feel really good about.
At the end of this past week’s session, I handed out anonymous feedback forms where participants can rate the class on a scale of 1-10 and provide written feedback on what they liked, didn’t like, and what they would’ve liked to do more/less of.
Most of the reviews I’ve gotten since starting these forms have been 10s with the occasional 9. One person, however, after this past session rated it a 6 out of 10.
And here’s what I noticed in myself after seeing that:
- A defensive/emotional mental rise: how could they have given that session a 6 out of 10?!
- A deliberate attempt to forget about that rating—as if it wasn’t submitted.
- A bubbling back up of the rating in my mind every so often, unconsciously.
- An acceptance with the rating once I calmed down and put it into perspective.
- Active brainstorming on what I’m going to do differently/better for the next one.
…And it’s that last line that’s so key.
Beneath the emotional responses are buried opportunities. Opportunities that, if discovered with enough patience and deliberate inner work, can (finally) take you from “settled” to still evolving.