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My name is Selima Aousheva, and starting this November, I will be teaching a self defense class just for young girls at Ihsan Muslim Explorers. By writing this letter to you, I wish to express a few of my goals for prospective students and seek your permission to teach them what I know of self defense, should they be interested.
Due to the surplus of mixed-gender dojos and martial arts institutions, this program will cater towards girls and young women only. The primary aim of this course is to provide Muslim girls at Ihsan with a safe space, in which they will learn to defend themselves, engage in physical sport, and moreover, foster confidence and growth.
To give you some background, I am an assistant instructor and recently promoted shodan/first degree black belt at the Kosho School of Karate (on Beechmont Avenue). I have been studying shuri-ryu karate, since I was nine years old (for eight and a half years), with my brother and father. Karate has majorly shaped who I am, giving me confidence and practical skills for the real world. It is a sport and a discipline I am truly passionate about, and I hope the girls at Ihsan will come to love it too.
Some basics that will be covered include punches, back fists, kicks, blocks, stances, pins, joint locks, throws, and pressure points. I will not focus on teaching kata, waza, or other form combinations that characterize my karate style, though I will be sharing practical skills and techniques to apply in fighting and defending oneself. We will also be engaging in some fun activities! These may include form sparring, regular sparring, working on the punching bag, or group drills (my favorite is sumo sparring).
It goes without saying that we will also be warming up before every class and taking on physically demanding exercises. But before any of this can happen, I want to note that there is always the possibility of someone getting hurt. While we all— I especially— will try to ensure this does not happen, sometimes a punch lands too hard or someone falls on the floor. I will ensure Inshallah that nothing serious occurs, but in the case of an accident, I will be equipped with an emergency kit and be ready to call parents if needed.
If you consent to everything I have stated, and would like your daughter to participate, please fill out the necessary information on this form. Thank you for your time and your interest, and I look forward to meeting the girls soon!
Warm regards, Selima Aousheva
We want to help your child connect to Allah (swt) through His words in the Qur”an, and through the teachings of The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).