Free self-defence classes have been set up for Cardiff University students as a response to female students’s online complaints saying they feel unsafe in Cardiff.
Ruby Roberts, who went to the first class on Monday, said she had always felt safe in Cathays, a student area, but recently she and her friends have been feeling more wary.
She linked this to posts on social media, as well as stories she’d heard in person, in which women said they’d felt intimidated in Cathays.
Cardiff University’s mixed martial arts (MMA) society launched the initiative to protect students.
Miss Roberts described feeling empowered by learning how to flip someone over her hip. “I didn’t know I had the power to do that,” she said.
She added that she felt so much safer after taking part in the one hour session. She is a member of JOMEC Netball society and plans to encourage her fellow members to go too.
South Wales Police said they are “sorry to hear what some women are experiencing in Cathays” and encouraged those affected to contact them so they can investigate and offer support.
They said dealing with violence against women and girls is a priority for them: “as well as high-visibility and plain-clothed patrols, we are involved in a wide range of initiatives to tackle violence and abuse including StreetSafe and the Cardiff Safety Bus.”
If you are interested in attending the classes yourself, they are held at 3pm on Mondays in rooms 3C/D in the SU. You can contact Cardiff MMA on instagram: @cardiffuni_mma.