In Saint-Orens, near Toulouse, the house of Martial Arts has just hosted a rather special self-defense course since it was exclusively reserved for women, for the sum of 25 euros.
Organized in collaboration with the departmental committee of Karate and associated disciplines of Haute-Garonne, this course was led by Dan Bertrand and Stéphanie Falcou, two professors, long-time experts in martial arts.
Students, who do not wish, or no longer wish, to be helpless in the face of an attacker, learn to be concise, effective and hard-hitting.
“You may be wondering why there are men here.
Well, these gentlemen are here to be hit!, says the 53-year-old instructor with a big smile, causing amused and nervous laughter in the room.
In order to put you in a real situation.
".
Determined, they are twenty students to have crossed the door of the House of Martial Arts of Saint-Orens, in the suburbs of Toulouse.
To teach them the basics of self-defense, the Departmental Committee for Karate and Associated Disciplines of Haute-Garonne has set up this course reserved for women.
During this one, Dan Bertrand and Stéphanie Falcou, two teachers of Pencak-Silat (the martial art of the Indonesian commandos), will be in charge for two hours of teaching them not, or more, to let themselves go.
On the program, burst strikes, shots between the legs or even how to make an attacker let go.
“The goal is for you to be operational when you leave,” explains Stéphanie Falcou, 45, former French Taekwondo champion.
"It's something they unfortunately have to learn"
After a short warm-up, Stéphanie opens the ball by explaining the notion of
false guard
.
“The first thing to do is to put your hands in front of your face, to be ready to parry the blows and counter-attack, it is a message of universal peace.
Because if you show real guard, warns Stéphanie, mimicking the position of a boxer, this will not defuse the situation but make it worse.
»
Once the concept is integrated, it's time to get down to business.
Dan distributes pads to the girls, a sort of big punching cushion, and puts them in pairs to exchange the first blows.
“We will first see how to parry a blow with your elbow, remember to bend your arm well to protect the ear”, specifies the instructor.
Unaccustomed to hitting, many are, at first, a little disoriented by the exercise, then the repetition of the movements gradually takes over and the rhythm is refined.
"Tell yourself that if the guy in front is 20 kilos heavier and he hits you in the head, it's over.
You have to get used to the idea that you are going to have pain, but it is better that it is in the arms when parrying the blow than in the face, ”explains Dan, who does not wish to spare them as to the reality on the ground.
Some budding fighters have a habit of closing their eyes and cowering when they see the blow coming.
"It's dangerous, because the attacker can take you to the ground if you bend down, remember to look him in the eye," Dan advises one of the students.
And if one of them actually ends up on the ground, don't panic!
The basics of ground defense are precisely one of the specificities of this women's course.
"It's something they unfortunately have to learn in the event of a sexual assault," says Stephanie.
“It motivates me for the future and it gives me confidence in myself”
While the participants sharpen their arsenal of techniques, the four men, the "Redmen", Dan's four regular students recruited to serve as punching bags, equip themselves: genital shell, helmet, shin guards, chest protector, etc.
All to take the blows without too much danger, to the detriment of a Bibendum Michelin look.
The exercise thus gives rise to a rather chaotic situation where the Redmen throw themselves at random on the trainees, well obliged to put into practice what they have just learned.
While some are still uncomfortable with the idea of hitting someone who has done nothing to them, most have understood the principle well and continue hitting.
"Of course, we can't teach you everything in two hours, but other longer courses are possible if you want to progress", concludes Dan in front of the sweaty trainees.
An idea that seems to thrill Lisa Segalowitch, 23, physiotherapist in Toulouse.
“I had already done a self course with Steph.
At first, it's surprising and violent, but in the end you get used to it and it lets off steam, describes the young girl.
We learn techniques for everyday life in case we get bothered, even if it never happened to me.
The situation is a little different for Emilie Torregrosa, 34.
“I decided to come following an attack, painfully recalls this funeral adviser from Toulouse.
This internship did me good, it motivates me for the future and it gives me confidence in myself.
I particularly liked the techniques on the ground,
it is true that it is important.
»
Evacuate the artistic side to focus on efficiency
Of course, applying techniques in real combat is more difficult than on tatami, hence the need to be concise.
“We teach them simple things so they can remember them easily.
If I start showing them increasing kicks, they will never hold it back, ”explains the man who has been practicing martial arts for forty years while putting away the equipment.
“What we saw today is a mix of different martial arts, but from which we evacuated the artistic side to focus on efficiency, details Stéphanie, in the middle for 35 years.
This course is reserved for women because many do not feel confident or have experienced trauma, a mixed course could have deterred them from coming.
In addition, the techniques we have seen are designed for attacks that particularly target women.
A man may not find his account there.
»
Finally, the professor reminds us that violence is not inevitable.
“Often people think that self-defense is only physical, but it can also be verbal, the goal being to not come to that.
»
Nantes
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