In 1998 Collie local Justin Warren walked into the old Railway Institute building in Bunbury and instructed 14 women in a six-hour basic self-defence system called Counterstrike.
Now 20 years later, Mr Warren said he estimated that more than 1000 women from around the South West had taken the course, which was designed to give women the skills to get out of threatening situations.
Mr Warren, an Olympic taekwondo hopeful in his youth, said the idea for the program came from a friend who pressured him into running the program.
“There was a lot of demand for it at the time,” he said.
“A friend asked me to run a session and she told her friends and it spread by word of mouth until there was 14 people there.”
He said the course had evolved tremendously over the past 20 years and had been supported by organisations such as South West Women’s Health and Waratah.
He said the idea behind the program was about giving women confidence.
“We teach a lot about emotional control and posture projection and making sure you look strong as well as the physical skills behind it,” he said.
“Everyone has five vulnerable areas and if you can learn to strike the vulnerable areas ... it will give you enough time to escape.
“The basis of the class is teaching you how to get away, not to beat up the person.”
Mr Warren said he would be hosting a Counterstrike class in Collie at Eclipse Martial Arts beginning on October 9.
He said the course was part of his plan to hold classes all across the South West throughout the month of October, which is also Women’s Empowerment Month.
He said he was hoping to also hold classes in Bunbury, Eaton, Busselton, Donnybrook, Harvey, Pinjarra and Mandurah.
