KUCHING: A father-daughter duo conducted a special self-defence workshop aimed at empowering women and addressing growing concerns over public safety amid a rise in incidents targeting women.
Ivan and Maryam Evetovics hosted “Be Prepared: Self-Defense Skills for Women”, a women’s workshop designed to equip participants with practical skills and knowledge to protect themselves from potential threats.
The workshop focused on physical techniques, situational awareness, and verbal de-escalation — empowering women to feel more confident and safe from potential attackers.
Maryam, who is a yoga instructor, said her motivation for organising the workshop stemmed from recent incidents involving sexual harassment and murder targeting women in Malaysia.
This follows a murder case involving a Sarawakian student studying at the University of Cyberjaya, who was found dead in a condominium unit on June 24.
“Honestly, for a few years, I thought Malaysia was quite safe. After a few incidents, especially those involving women, it really got me thinking — we need to keep ourselves prepared for this kind of situation.
“So, I decided to collaborate with my father to host this special session for women. It was a really good session,” said Maryam.
Maryam’s father, Ivan, is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, and is the head coach at Studio 23 Jiu-Jitsu.
“I was trying to show some of the mind-sets and key techniques to stay safe, especially if you are a woman.
“Hopefully, they will never have to use them or be in a dangerous situation, but I think we covered all the core principles of how to defeat a bigger and stronger opponent,” said Ivan.
He added that while Malaysia — and Kuching in particular — is relatively safe, it is still important for everyone to be prepared in case something goes wrong.
“Whether you are male or female, it is your own responsibility to learn how to protect yourself, and I want to encourage everybody to learn self-defence. It is also a life skill.
“If you want to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is very much focused on self-defence skills, you are always welcome to try a free class at Studio 23 Jiu-Jitsu,” he said.
A total of eight women participated in the special self-defence session at Studio 23 Jiu-Jitsu, learning basic self-defence skills and techniques.
Maryam expressed hope that more sessions like this would be organised in the future.
“I think the ladies were really engaged. And after the session, they were sharing that everyone learned something new. So I’m really grateful for that.
“I hope there will be more special workshops like this — maybe on a regular basis,” she said.
