IN LINE with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG): Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Kagayhaan Gold organized a self-defense training participated by persons of all gender last Saturday, March 16, at the Anytime Fitness in SM CDO Downtown Premier.
The Krav Maga: Basic Self-Defense Training is JCI Kagayhaan Gold's chapter-initiated project for JCI Philippines' Pinay Power, a special national project that aims to promote programs which advocate women empowerment, welfare, and advancement of gender equality.
"Every year, the chapter conducts activities to address this. We have international women forum, pampering sessions, etc. Last year, we conducted basic car troubleshooting," Roxanne Fuentes, the president of JCI Kagayhaan Gold, said.
The activity last Saturday was participated by 10 people (eight women and two men), with more than half of them saying it was their first time practicing Krav Maga.
Krav Maga is a form of self-defense and physical training first developed by the Israeli army in the 1940s. It is based on the use of reflexive responses to threatening situations.
The participants were trained under Joseph Javier, a member of the International Krav Maga Federation Philippines and a Krav Maga coach in MCM Fit Nest Gym.
"Basically, the intention of this project was to teach Krav Maga as self-defense. It is not meant to harm anybody. It’s a way to protect oneself during assault and abuse, and how one can possibly free and run away from assault or abuse," Fuentes said.
The participants, on their part, were delighted by the activity, remarking how practical it was and worth their time as they were taught by a hands-on trainer.
JCI Kagayhaan Gold is a non-profit organization composed of young professionals and businessmen in Cagayan de Oro City.
Various activities are lined up next month as the organization will be celebrating its JCI Week from April 7 to 13.
Each day, they will be conducting projects such as Bangon Marawi Build a Library with their sister chapter: JCI Iligan Maria Cristina; Beyond Prison Walls; Launching of SALIDA: Inter-school UNSDG Film Festival and Competition; and I-Invest, an investment training series.