KUALA LUMPUR - A self-defence instructor has decided to empower women by teaching them how to stay safe for free.
Crazy Monkey Defence (CMD) Malaysia programme director Vince Choo said he could not think of a better way to repay society, being someone skilled in martial arts and self-defence.
"I have been practising martial arts since I was 11. Such knowledge is not meant to be used to pick fights.
"By giving a free course on personal safety, I'm able to make myself useful to the community and help women avoid being victims of crime," said the 45-year-old after a session at the CMD centre in Bangsar.
He said that while crime was always present, it had generated a lot of public interest recently due to media coverage and through social media such as Facebook.
Choo, whose martial arts skills include karate, judo and jujitsu, said he has been giving free safety lessons since the abduction-cum-murder of Canny Ong in 2003.
He said the course, named the Women's Personal Safety programme, would be held throughout the year as part of CMD's corporate social responsibility.
Spread across three consecutive Saturdays, it teaches women how to use "brains over brawn".
"Not all women are equipped with the necessary physical skills to take on a determined criminal or group of men. So the course teaches them how to use their wits to avoid being a victim and utilise the resources around them," Choo said.
Programme participant Eva Ho, 29, said she signed up because she was fearful of recent reports of crime involving women.
"The course taught me how to be aware of my surroundings.
"Nowadays, people can easily fall victim to criminals because they are distracted with their smartphones and other gadgets," said the IT auditor from Penang.
Office executive Tay Wai Cheng, 27, said there was concern for safety, especially since certain crime cases, such as that involving the acid splasher, have yet to be solved.
Another participant named Sue, 27, said she wanted to learn about personal safety as "prevention is better than cure".
