The first training course of the Guardian Girls Karate Programme in Germany took place from March 13 to the 17 in the city of Sögel, led by WKF-certified instructor, Ulrike Maass. The event was organised by the German Karate Federation with the collaboration of the World Karate Federation (WKF).

The Guardian Girls Karate Programme aims to empower women and teach them skills to prevent and protect themselves from gender-based violence.

Along with discussing topics such as the spiral of violence in partner relationships, instructor Maass accompanied the four-day training with practical exercises, including classic elements such as protective posture, shouting, striking techniques, freeing from holds and chokeholds, defence in the ground position, and the use of everyday objects for defence as well.

Maass stated that “the solutions offered are often too complex or physically difficult to implement for women in real danger situations. This is where Guardian Girls Karate has a positive effect, as it has been adapted to the realistic possibilities of women.“

Created by the World Karate Federation (WKF), the Koyamada International Foundation (KIF), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Guardian Girls Global Karate Programme is a gender-based violence prevention initiative designed to promote gender equality and empower women and girls through the discipline of karate.