As instructed, I poked my index finger into the shallow dip between my neck and collarbone, a delicate and often exposed area of the body called the suprasternal notch. “It’s an accessible target,” explained Melodee “Mel” Meyer, who was leading the women’s self-defense workshop last month at Martial Arts Family Fitness. “That’s key.”
The practice room was lit with bright fluorescent lights and lined with soft rubber mats, which lent a faint scent to the space. I was there with 19 other women for the free class, and we formed a circle around Master Mel, as she’s called, as she explained how this spot at the base of the neck is even more accessible than the groin, the other target that often first comes to mind when women think about defending themselves from a male attacker.
“I love working with women because they know how to hold a safe space for each other to learn in,” said Meyer, who is a sixth-degree black belt. But enough talk — it was time for some action! Meyer asked us to pair off to practice defense maneuvers along a row of kickboxing bags lining one side of the room.
