As a photojournalist at the Daily Herald, it’s often times difficult to tell how photogenic any given shoot will be until you get there.  Sometimes something will seem great but turn out to be a dud and vice versa.  However, there also exists assignments where regardless of how visual an assignment is, it is still a blast to be at.  Usually this is due to interesting people or interesting environments.  

So with this in mind, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I showed up to a free women’s self defense class in the park last week.  Luckily for me, it was both visual and entertaining to attend.  The instructors were enthusiastic and although few in number, the participants were happy to have their picture taken.  With those circumstances, I stayed for the whole class.  My favorite photos were from when the participants practiced their newly-learned moves on the instructors, such as breaking a headlock.

I left feeling excited not only about the photos but also that the instructors felt compelled to teach the women in our community how to defend themselves.  This is a great community service and being able to physically defend oneself is a great preventive measure against further unfortunate events. Kudos to Doug Haskins and his not-for-profit organization, Tigress Women’s Self Defense.