Strength, Safety & Fun: A Recap of Our 1st Women’s Workshop in High Park-Bloor West
By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri
With rising concerns around gun shootings at Summer festivals, it’s easy to feel anxious about heading out to outdoor parties and events. But while we can’t always control what happens around us, we can choose to be prepared.
Since 2019, I’ve been partnering with community organizations operating in Toronto NIAs fighting some of the highest crime and gun violence rates in the city to run yearly dance and street safety sessions for youth and kids ages 6 to 18. The goal is to give the next generation the tools to navigate our city boldly, safely, and with more confidence.
This summer, I decided to put out a list of interest for my very 1st women’s street safety workshop at our High Park space. Within days, our registration list was almost full.
The session was INCREDIBLE. We had an amazing group of participants, including past members, moms and daughters, and best friends training side-by-side. We started off with fun ice breaker warm-ups to get to know our classmates, learned basic stances for stability and strength, how to block and escape specific grabs/attacks, and talked about situational awareness, our gut instincts, de-escalation and what it means to be attacked on the street, when riding the bus, and walking home at night. The group was laughing from start to finish which told me everything I needed to know: they were engaged, connected, and LEARNING.
As the days get shorter and nights longer, personal safety is top of mind for families. I am currently available to facilitate 1-hour interactive workshops for kids' clubs, youth groups, women’s shelters, and community organizations across Toronto.
If you want to host a street safety workshop for kids or women in Toronto, please contact me through the contact page here.
A quick note on my background: My series focuses on street safety and situational awareness and I adapt my curriculum based on the needs of the group. I also work alongside highly-skilled and safe martial arts coaches to lead sessions. If you are looking to master advanced combat tactics or learn various martial arts forms, I encourage participants to join a reputable martial arts school in Toronto.