When courage becomes contagious: Lessons from landmark self-defence workshop by PMAA | Sports

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In Pakistan, we often talk about empowering women in seminars, conferences and political speeches. Nevertheless, making real empowerment rarely left the limits of high words. That is why the recent two -day women’s self -defense workshop at Fazia Medical College (FMC), Air University, in collaboration with the Pakistan Martial Arts Association (PMAA) and IFMSA Pakistan, stood as an important step.

This was not just an event. It was a declaration that Pakistani women deserve more than sympathy or rhetoric, they deserve tools tools to protect themselves, trusting without fear, and the knowledge that society is with them. Most workshops and seminars have been reduced to formal launches, half -hearted sessions and photo opportunities for advertising. But the FMC’s workshop was different.

From the very beginning, the seriousness was clear. FMC Principal, MAG General (R) Mohammad Tahir Khadim, HE (M), in his opening speech not only emphasized the importance of physical skills but also emphasized the flexibility that young women must take up their lives in their lives. His words, “Every student attending this workshop will be strong, brave and better to face the facts of life.” It was not about to hit a box. It was about making a shield for the daughters of the nation.

The thing that impressed me the most was the practical trend of training sessions. Often, self -defense workshops fall into the choreographed display of karate kicks and shiny routines. But under the leadership of PMAA President and Chief Trainer Anwar Mohiuddin, with the help of a team of Faiza Rashid and dedicated women’s co -instructors, the program is focused on real -world scenario: knife -free, pistol defense, pressure point strikes, and the situation.

Such training is not about aggression. As Anwar rightly remarked, “self -defense is not about aggression. It is about survival.” In a society where women face harassment on the streets, transport, and sometimes at workplaces, they are not just skills, they are a lifetime.

Participation added another layer of importance. Students came from not only FMC but also from Nost, Fast, NDU, Bahria University, International Islamic University, Air University, and Federal Medical and Dental College. This compound showed that the hunger for empowering is not limited to a campus or a city, which is a national desire.

Many participants shared their statements, and their enthusiasm was clear. A young woman from the FMC confessed: “I never thought that I could really disarm someone with weapons. Today, I realized that with the right technique and mentality, this is possible.” Another of the nostases described the workshop as “changing life”. Such sounds are proof of the fact that such workshops do not have additional activities, they are urgent needs.

The presence of professionals outside the educational world further clarified the importance of the workshop. Ms. Aisha Farrukh and Ms Sonana Younas participated as special guests of the Air, and they had a lot of weight in reflection. Aisha announced that the Syrian Air will soon launch its special defense programs for her women staff in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. This is especially a wave of impact that Pakistan needs. When the professional sector adopts such measures, self -defense is made normal as the need for a workplace, not an optional hobby. Sonana’s words summarized: “These students are not just learning techniques. They are learning courage.”

His keynote address of the Pakistan Sports Board was both stirring and thinking. His statement, “When a woman learns to defend herself, she becomes a light of hope for ten others.”

Courage spreads faster than any skill. When an athlete dives fearlessly, the entire team’s energy increases. When a woman stops an attack with confidence, ten others will be convinced that they can do the same. The courage, really, is contagious, and nowadays Pakistan is needed.

It would be great to see this workshop in isolation from Pakistan’s broader social context. Women here face daily struggle, harassing buses, lacking in public places, and violent attacks in extreme cases. We cannot change these facts overnight. But what we can do, and essentially, wear women with the ability to build their land. Self -defense training is not just a reaction to the risk. It is about changing the dynamics of the power of society. It sends a message to potential criminals: the era of helpless victims is over.

Although FMC, PMAA, and IFMSA deserve to be clapped for their move, this responsibility should now be transferred to policy makers and institutions. Why should self -defense training sometimes be limited to workshops? Why should only some selected universities offer such opportunities?

The time has come for the government, especially for the Pakistan Sports Board, the Higher Education Commission, and the provincial education ministries, make our defense an integral part of the curriculum from secondary schools to universities. If physical education is mandatory, why not defense self? If we can teach history and algebra as needs, why not have skills that can save life one day?

The workshop ended with a dignity ceremony, a certificate in the hand, the echoing clap in the hall. But to me, the real success was incomprehensible, the confidence in the faces of young women who left knowing that they were much stronger than arriving.

Chief Trainer Anwar’s separate words achieved it best: “It should not end. It should start a movement.” In fact, it can’t be an event once. It has to develop in a national campaign, which has been copied to schools, colleges, universities and workplaces.

Self -defense is no longer a luxury in Pakistan. This is a need. If we want to make a safe Pakistan, we have to empower women not only with degrees and jobs but also with the ability to walk in our own country with fearlessness. An empowered woman develops her family. Empowered families reinforced communities. The strong community builds flexible countries. It’s not just about martial arts. It is about dignity, trust and national progress. As long as our daughters feel insecure, Pakistan cannot really prosper.

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