Women’s Self-Defense Class
June 3 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT
Join us on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023, at 11:30am to learn and practice some self-defense. The class will be held at Beaty Neighbourhood Park at Soccer Field South #3 (670 Bennett Blvd, Milton, ON L9T 6R4). The self-defense class will be hosted by Criminologist, Dr. Laurie Samuel who is the founder and executive director of Cupid’s Sting, a non-profit organization working to prevent violence against women through awareness, education, and self-defense training. The self-defense class will offer women: a motivating workout led by a criminologist with a background in law enforcement, a chance to meet like-minded women in a safe environment, and the opportunity to feel secure about your personal safety. In the self-defense class, you will learn:
- How to empower and equip yourself for safety
- Vulnerable areas to strike
- Practical self-defense moves
The class is open to all women 16+ who want to learn some new safety techniques and/or to practice and enhance what they already know. Since the class will be hands-on, please wear comfortable clothing suitable for working out. The practice section of the class will involve working in pairs and small groups. Please note that the class will be cohosted by a man. We hope to see you there!
Meet Dr. Laurie Samuel:
Dr. Laurie Samuel is a Criminologist with expertise in police-community relations, police misconduct, risk management, community engagement, and interpersonal violence. With over ten years working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, DC she is a leading expert in Early Identification and Intervention System (EIS). She also served as the Director of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Division. Dr. Samuel worked as an expert with the Department of Justice and was an invited speaker at the Amnesty International meetings in Amsterdam on policing.
In 2015 Dr. Samuel noticed an escalation in violence against women incidents based on police reports and news stories. In response, she created Cupid’s Sting, an interpersonal violence reduction program. The mission of Cupid’s Sting is to teach women life-saving skills through workshops on interpersonal violence, domestic violence, and street harassment, including demonstration and practice of self-defence techniques. A former professor at Howard University, she developed workshops on dating abuse, situational awareness, and self-defense for her students. A sought-after speaker, Dr. Samuel has been featured on news programs Wake Up Washington, WUSA9, Antigua and Barbuda Today, and most recently on the Start-Up Canada Podcast.
On March 14, 2018, Dr. Samuel launched Cupid’s Sting Non-Profit partnering with the community to create a safer and healthier environment for families, students, employees, and neighbours. Cupid’s Sting now operates in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean and Dr. Samuel has received several awards for her work on violence against women. She was a 2021 recipient of the Canie Award from the Innovators and Entrepreneurs Foundation, a 2022 recipient of a Community Achievement Award from Lions International, and is a 2023 Women of Diversity nominee.
