Why I joined FEMA

The shortest answer possible is that I got fed up. I've been pawed, and I've been groped, and I've been stalked, and simply got fed up with being afraid.

After a particularly bad encounter with a creepy man on a bus late at night, I was standing at a dark bus stop talking on my cell phone with my girlfriend trying to find the courage to make it the rest of the way home. It was at this point, when she kept suggesting that I carry a gun and I kept telling her no; I decided I had to take a self-defense class.

The next day I started doing research on the web. I found a lot of martial arts classes that I didn't think I wanted to take. Then I found an article on Women's Self-defense by Laura Kamienski that sounded true to my way of thinking. And this article lead me to Chimera. From Chimera I followed the search engine to NWMAF (National Women's Martial Arts Federation) and from there to FEMA.

I emailed Shifu Kore' to find out if I would be welcome. I came and observed a class; and here I am in the beginners' class. And now I am developing the confidence to believe that I don't have to be afraid anymore.

-Lisbeth

One of the reasons why I appreciate FEMA so much recently came to light when I was at a bridal shower for a relative of mine. We were sitting at a table eating cake and all of the women around me were talking about how “fat” they were and how they “can’t” do ____________ (fill in the blank with whatever activity you want) because of their weight. This was even talk coming from the 18-19 year olds who were 90 pounds soaking wet.
There was a point in my life where I would have joined into this negative talk and shrugged it off as completely normal. But this time, I just sat there in stunned silence and counted my blessings for finding a school where no body type is considered in a negative light and words like “can’t” will earn you extra pushups.
While I have my own body issues (even though intellectually, I know I have no reason to), since coming to FEMA to train, I have more good days than bad. Training here has given me much more confidence to say “So what?” to the popular idea that women have to be thin as rails, and preferably under 5’6”.


- Megan Treziok