North Bay Woman

42 NORTH BAY WOMAN | S P R I N G 2 0 1 9 By Leslie Harlib W omen physically defending themselves and triumphing against attackers: it's not an image that was prevalent in popular culture until the last 10 or 15 years. For millennia, in classic art, theater and literature, then later films, most often portrayed women as helpless, screaming, victimized, or rescued by, what else, men. But that's changing in a big way. Along with the women's movement of the late 20th century and certainly the 21st century has come women's empowerment. Breakthroughs in the culture, such as the Me Too movement, the Internet and social media with its exposés of women's sexual and physical safety issues, have helped raise awareness that self-defense techniques are essential tools that women of all ages can embrace. "Physical skills are very simple, easy to learn, easy to remember and very effective," says Jade de la Cruz. Based in Sonoma County, de la Cruz has taught around the greater Bay Area for more than 25 years, helping hundreds of women of all ages — in particular teenagers and women in their early 20s, who are typically the most common targets — learn self defense skills. "Part of what I talk about in my classes is our psychology as girls and women," she says. "For many of us, how we are raised doesn't serve us when we are in danger, when someone is being a bully, manipulative, trying to hurt us in some way. "In all of my classes I will say, 'In general, girls are traditionally taught that the most important things are to be sweet, kind nice, helpful and put everyone else's needs first,'" she continues. "Well that's great if you are safe. But you also need to be loud, strong, direct, assertive, fierce and angry if someone is trying to touch you in a way that you don't like. Or being aggressive or violent toward you so that you are in fear for your safety. You have to be able to do and be both." De la Cruz, 50, didn't have an "uh oh" moment that led her down this unusual path (she's also a licensed social worker with a practice in Santa Rosa) but she did have an "ah ha." Thanks to a college boyfriend who practiced martial arts, she took some classes in taekwondo and aikido when attending U.C. Santa Cruz in the early 1990s. One of her Teacher Jade de la Cruz empowers girls and women around the Bay Area Instructor Jade de la Cruz teaches physical self-defense techniques, standing and from the ground, that are powerful yet easy to learn and remember. – Photos courtesy of Keene Hudson

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