Alena Kennedy Women's Wing Chun

I used to practice Aikido. In some ways (use of internal energy, sensitivity and redirecting the attacker's momentum without use of brute force), I find Wing Chun to be similar. I am trying to pass one of Aikido's principles on in my teaching of Wing Chun. It is called 'ukemi', which translates in Japanese to 'receiving body'. Ukemi is about how we respond to our partners/opponents by providing enough force or fight to test their techniques while being respectful and flexible enough to receive their attack. It allows us to learn while our nervous system is in 'calm' mode. It trains our bodies to be sensitive, continue the flow of the initial movement and absorb kinetic energy, which prevents injuries. Good ukemi enables all participants to practice safely, to measure their improvements and to maintain good relationships, creating a sustainable training environment. It requires us to consider each other and to control our competitive egos. It should be practiced with 'fresh mind', even if the exercise is repetitive, as if one does not know what is coming next.

Wing Chun suits the visually impaired because of its sensitivity training.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DArKdbB7s/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HDWsQkv89/

The faces of the war on women and girls. The human cost of male violence. Four families who woke up this week to the kind of grief my family has lived with every day since my sister Nikita was murdered in 2015.

I have spent every day since working to ensure no family goes through the same thing. And every time a man kills a woman in this country, we see the same thing. We see certain types of men being absolved of their actions through the media and courts. We see women and girls and their families being victim blamed. We see some politicians who care deeply but have their power to act stripped away. And we those most deeply impacted bearing the burden of speaking truth to power and demanding change.

Meanwhile, our society continues to produce boys who grow into men willing to control, terrorise and kill women. We see tech companies being given licence to use algorithms to radicalise, we see whole industries of alcohol and gambling not being regulated appropriately. And we keep treating male violence as something to respond to, rather than something to prevent.

We refuse to reckon with the beliefs and behaviours that make this possible in the first place. If this week’s deaths don’t force every one of us in this country to reckon with this male epidemic of violence, then what will? Institutions cannot keep measuring activity while families keep having to mourn their loved ones.

My family doesn’t have the luxury of moving on. Jana’s family won’t. Layla’s family won’t. Lavanya’s family won’t. Nor will the family of the 17-year-old girl whose name many Australians may never even know.

This is not inevitable. This is the consequence of choices — what we fund, what we reward and what we refuse to confront. We need leaders who stop acting dumbfounded and make empty promises. We need those with the power to change things to be finally prepared to act like these lives matter.