LoveReading Says
“This book is all about her – the empowered female who uncovers the psychological and physical strengths within herself, nurturing them to stay confident, bold and authentic, taking charge, and passionately safeguarding her values and her personal safety.” So Joanna Ziobronowicz, a martial arts World Wide Champion, sets out in her introduction to She Fights Back, a toolkit that invites women to embark on “an empowering journey of discovering how caution and preventative measures are crucial in avoiding conflict, and how they can be used as a first line of defence.”
And all this is framed in the context of the World Health Organisation statistic that one in three women will experience violence during their lifetime. As the author remarks, “a disturbing statistic, but one that can be changed.” Of course, it shouldn’t fall to women to take responsibility for shifting a change in misogynist coercion, harassment and violence perpetuated by men, but this book offers women a particular set of tools for shirking the patriarchal “good girl” mantle, unleashing their inner “warrior woman”, and deflecting and dealing with predatory behaviour and violence through situational awareness and physical techniques.
With examples from dozens of women and the author’s life experiences, including her time in the security sector, She Fights Back also covers the legal landscape of self-defence, self-defence techniques, and how to heal from trauma. Packed with practical exercises, with space to make observations and set goals, She Fights Back is rounded off with a safety checklist and provides plenty of food for thought when it comes to how women might protect themselves.
Joanne Owen
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She Fights Back Synopsis
This empowering guide to psychological, linguistic and (as a last resort) physical self-defence will help women reclaim their safety, strength and self-confidence.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread crises worldwide, with a third experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. To combat this, martial arts World Wide Champion Joanna Ziobronowicz presents this unique and realistic guide to women's self-defence, which helps prevent violence through techniques derived from psychology and linguistics. It focuses on increasing confidence and assertiveness, working against societal norms which dictate that women make themselves smaller to stay safe, and showing them how to access their latent female power. It covers:
- How to spot the red flags in potentially dangerous situations, including identifying potential attackers
- An attacker's mindset and how they identify and approach their victims
- Understanding your rights in the eyes of the law regarding self-defence
- The four points of action when confronted with conflict: retreat, deescalation, assertiveness, physical defence
- Stalkers and harassment - how to deal with unwanted attention
- How to shake off "good girl" conditioning
- Embracing our power as women, including gut instinct as a forgotten female power
- How to overcome trauma - 5 strategies to help people cope in the aftermath of situations.
Written in a relatable and empowering tone with plenty of personal anecdotes, case studies and line drawings to aid comprehension and engagement, this is the perfect book for anyone looking to further their understanding of how they can stay safe as women.
About This Edition
About Joanna Ziobronowicz
Joanna Ziobronowicz is a former IBJJF World Champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, member of Reorg charity and owner of Women’s Self Defense UK. Drawing on 20 years' experience in martial arts and the security industry, and on her UCL Master's from the division of Psychology and Language Sciences, she delivers workshops to companies and the wider public. Find out more at: www.womenselfdefense.co.uk
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