The LMH JCR voted to provide £300 to subsidise self-defence classes for women at its 4th week meeting.
The motion noted that “female self-defence classes are an important welfare activity. They have been requested by students over a number of year. Also they are a good way of getting students involved with Krav Maga”.
LMH currently provides self-defence classes for women of 1.5 hours each, costing £30 per session. A request was made for funding to ASC for funding but it was unsuccessful. The money which has now been granted by the JCR will be used to reduce the cost of each class to £10 per person.
Charlotte Robinson, the JCR Gender Officer who proposed the motion, told The Oxford Student: “Over a number years female-identifying members of college have asked the Gender Equality Officer for the JCR to organise a self-defence workshop for women. I contacted FIT2FIGHTBACK, an experienced Krav Maga group in Oxford who offer self- defence classes. We set up four 1.5 hour classes for LMH students, costing £30 in total per person. 30 students have signed up for the classes.
“We have just had the first class which received a really positive response, and involved students pairing up to practise skills on each other, watching videos and listening to stories from Edmund who runs the classes.
“Despite it being a tough meeting to receive money, due to increased scrutiny on how the JCR motions budget is being spent, we received the full amount. I have had a number of male students asking if self-defence classes they could attend could be set up. This is something I feel is really important to run, and feel very lucky to have the JCR supporting it financially.”
Image Credit: Ed Webster
