Free sessions arm students and staff with essential safety skill
By: Skye Anderson
A soar in Winnipeg’s violent crimes has RRC Polytech students and staff taking new measures to protect themselves.
At the college’s Notre Dame Campus, student Yiwen Shao says she feels the city can be dangerous.
“My friends and instructors say they have been attacked, so I think it’s a little dangerous,” said Shao.
Shao decided to participate in the college’s self-defence classes at the Exchange District Campus to learn defence mechanisms in case she finds herself in a dangerous situation.
She has participated in every class, and with five classes now under her belt, Shao says she feels more comfortable and confident she could protect herself.
Every Wednesday for the last five weeks, Josh Schafer has run self-defence classes, open to all staff and students, free of charge.
Schafer started training at the long-running martial arts school, Tiger Claw, at 14 years old.
After four years, Schafer moved to Vancouver and took his training there, where he met his Sifu – a teacher in the context of martial arts.
Schafer’s Sifu taught him traditional Shaolin-derived praying mantis fist, and now, roughly 35 years later, he continues to practice and teach.
After a 14-year run with his own martial arts school in Winnipeg, he took over his Sifu’s Vancouver studio when he retired.
When the pandemic hit, Schafer moved back to Winnipeg.
Schafer says he has faced everything in the streets and adds that it hurts his heart to hear some of the stories people share about being attacked or mugged.
Last year, the number of violent crimes in Winnipeg spiked to over 15,000 – 31.4 per cent higher than the five-year average, according to the Winnipeg Police Service 2023 Statistical Report.
“I have seen guns, machetes, tasers,” said Schafer. “I approach (martial arts) from a tai chi perspective, which is that we never want to hurt anybody, and then we end up in a situation where we need to defend our life.”
The number of crimes involving a weapon was highest in North Point Douglas and Downtown Winnipeg.
“We work downtown, and self-defence is rather important, and I know nothing about it,” said Sandra Schonwetter.
Schonwetter is an English Second Language instructor at RRC Polytech. She says Schafer’s class was her first time learning any sort of self-defence.
She says she now has a better understanding of the mindset and strategies used in self-defence.
Schonwetter says she hopes the college runs the five-week program again so next time she can start from the first class.
