Comments
I will gladly vote for Dallas to win the grant from Volvo. I learned about JYF from a segment on CNN. I intend to share it with my 12-year old daughter, because I am NOT one of those people who thinks it "could never happen to my child..." - I know it can happen to anyone, anywhere, and I want her to feel empowered to protect herself. Just the confidence she will receive from this DVD could make all the difference.
I want you to know that I don't often donate money, but maybe my contribution will allow just one extra young woman to see your DVD, and you never know what a difference it could make. Keep up the inspiring work.
Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and New Year
Teaching girls that they CAN defend themselves
I am interested in becoming a certified trainer for Just Yell Fire. I gained my Master's degree in Library Science last May with an emphasis in children's and youth services, and hope to find a job soon as a public librarian. With the amount of contact I will have in that field with young and teenage girls, as well as contacts with schools and other libraries, I would like to find out how to become involved and help promote your program.
I have been training in aikido as a self-defense art since June, and will be testing for my first rank soon. The more I learned in aikido, the more it made me aware of how girls and women in America are socialized about violence. Movies, television, and popular media seem to promote the belief that girls and women cannot win or escape in a situation where we are under attack by a man. Recognizing this made me interested in finding out what programs were already available to promote girls' and women's self-defense. I discovered Just Yell Fire by Googling "women's self-defense". I was thrilled to find that someone has begun a movement to counter that socialization early in women's lives, beginning with teaching the girls who are most at risk that they CAN defend themselves and escape an attacker, even if their attacker is much larger. I myself am only 5'1", and the techniques that eliminate an attacker's advantage of greater height are also especially applicable to me.
I live in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, and I would like any information available on training for certification for Just Yell Fire, either locally or in neighboring states if necessary. Many thanks to you, Dallas, and everyone else involved with Just Yell Fire for your caring and hard work.
My heart goes out to you and your crew for what you all have done.
Thank you again, but remember one thing that I tell my friends who have been hurt... You are NOT a victim, you ARE a survivor inside and out.
With love always, and forever!