Scarborough self-defence workshop blends safety skills and arnis for Filipino-Canadian pageant community

An empowerment self-defence workshop at Filipino Centre Toronto on 17 October, organised by Kate Patrieze Luna and led by JB Ramos of Combat Science, taught mostly IPEN pageant participants awareness, boundary-setting, striking and arnis stick techniques.

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A self-defence workshop at Filipino Centre Toronto in Scarborough on 17 October gave members of the Filipino-Canadian community hands-on training in personal safety, with lessons rooted in Filipino martial arts, Mabuhay Canada reported.

The workshop was organised by Filipino-Canadian advocate Kate Patrieze Luna as part of her Protect Hearts, Protect Paws advocacy, and was led by JB Ramos of Combat Science. Most participants were members of the IPEN pageant community. A Mabuhay Canada preview said the session was open to people of all genders and ability levels, with no previous training required.

Participants were introduced to empowerment self-defence, which combines situational awareness, verbal communication and physical techniques. One exercise asked them to sort situations into green, yellow and red by perceived danger, before moving on to defensive movements, striking pads and using their voices to set boundaries. "From when they came in, they really came out of their shell by the end of the class," Ramos said.

The workshop also included arnis, the Filipino stick-based martial art. Participant Shannon Benigi-an Mulholland said many people were holding the sticks for the first time. "It's actually a community thing, not just about defending yourself," she said.

"I'm so grateful and elated," said Luna, who told Mabuhay Canada she wanted to connect the Filipino-Canadian pageant community with accessible safety education. Ramos encouraged people to trust their intuition and stay aware of their surroundings, particularly on transit: "First things first is being aware. Self-awareness is key."