As Australia grapples with a crisis of violence against women, gyms training women in self-defence say they've seen a spike in enrolments. Experts say while this can help women feel empowered, they are more likely to be attacked by someone they know.
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00:00In a gym on the fringe of Adelaide CBD, women are learning how to defend themselves.
00:08In the past few months, self-defence instructors say more women are enquiring about classes
00:13and are now booked up three months in advance at this gym.
00:18The recent events in Bondi and Ballarat, I think a lot more women are now more on edge
00:24and they feel more unsafe just being out in public.
00:28To learn a bit about self-defence, they will feel more empowered and they want that confidence.
00:35The women learn how to fight off potential attackers and become more aware of threats.
00:39She's going to be grabbing me if my hips are trapped.
00:43I gouge the eyes so she reacts, then I get up.
00:49Nina Altenetti is one of the women coming to the gym, hoping it will help her if she
00:52finds herself in a violent situation.
00:55She says she signed up for self-defence and martial arts because being out at night made
00:59her feel unsafe.
01:00I used to work permanent night shift at some of the hospitals in the city and I had done
01:06striking when I was younger, but I was always concerned about the strength differential
01:11between a potential attacker and myself.
01:14Nicole Moulding is a professor of social work and says martial arts can empower women, but
01:19she says it's important to recognise that most women are attacked by someone they know.
01:24While violence in public spaces gets a lot of attention and causes a lot of fear, it's
01:29absolutely true that it's in women's own homes that they face the greatest risk with
01:35most sexual violence being perpetrated by men women already know.
01:41Instructors say the conversation around self-defence is not intended to place the burden of responsibility
01:46on the victim rather than the perpetrators.
01:49I think there's a lot of shoulds that shouldn't exist.
01:51There's a need for people to learn self-defence, there's a need for people to learn first aid,
01:54all those kind of things.
01:55It would be really great if those needs didn't exist, but until that time that's something
01:59we're definitely going to be committed to delivering.
02:01An important skill instructors hope is one day not needed.