When Avital Zeisler was 19 years old, the unthinkable happened. She was sexually assaulted by her then boyfriend and spun into a debilitating depression. In an effort to feel empowered and safe again, she studied martial arts. Now she is teaching women how to defend themselves against perpetrators by fighting back… with their high heels.
“You actually grab the body of the shoe so that the heel is protruding to the side,” explained Avital. According to CBS, every nine seconds a woman is attacked in the United States. With Avital's Soteria Method (named after the goddess of safety), those women needn't be intimidated by the strangers who lurk in the shadows and outsize them. Just because a man is physically larger or apparently stronger doesn't mean you can't fight back, just watch as this woman gets out of a man's chokehold in a pinch. Even the NYPD loves Avital's method.
“We used to call it weapons of opportunity, anything that you have in your hand,” said former NYPD detective Joe Giacalone. Joe asserts that knowing how to act appropriately during an attack can be the difference between life and death for women everywhere.
“It will definitely make me think twice about what kind of heel I’m buying, because I guess if you can take off your heels faster,” said a woman in Avital's class.
Please SHARE if you think women have a right to fight back!
h/t: The New York Times
