Woman uses her own sexual assault experience to train victims in self defence in King's Lynn
Elizabeth Clarke a personal safety consultant from Lynn who is using her own experience of sexual assault to help women and girls in the area.
The Mum of two is dedicated to helping people defend themselves in a proactive way in order to defend themselves in a vulnerable situation.
Mrs Clarke has worked with Norfolk police and has been featured on the BBC, Sky News and a documentary called 'How not to die, Urban'.
She said: "I have been a victim of crime on more than one occasion in my life but in 1986 I experienced an attempted rape and was sexually assaulted. It was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced. It changed my whole outlook on life in and out of the work place.
"I spent years living in fear. In 1995 I decided I was not going to continue to be a victim any more. I began training in selfdefence. I particularly wanted a system of real selfdefence and not a 'traditional' art form, as these systems in my view; teach outdated techniques that were originally taught for the samurai on the battlefield many centuries ago.
Unfortunately today's aggressor has changed somewhat. So the application of what you are taught should be in direct relation to what happens in today's society. I found through my training that I could not only help myself but other
women too.
"If I could stop someone from going through what I went through then I would feel that it has all been worth it. I started out to just help protect other women but now I teach people from all sections ( male and female) of the
community regardless."
The classes will take place at Lynnsport in Lynn from Thursday April 28 to Thursday May 19 from 7pm-8.30pm.
To get in touch email womens-selfdefence@sky.com.
The age range is from high school aged females from 11-years-old to adults.
Mrs Clarke said: "I do teach both men and women, however some females don't feel safe in an environment with males especially if they have been a victim of assault themselves."
