Women lingerie shop workers in Inverness and Nairn learn the skills of self-defence after someone sent indecent pictures on social media
STAFF at a Highland business have signed up for women’s self-defence classes to make them feel safer both at work and in their everyday lives.
Grace Hay, owner of Grace Lily Lingerie, has arranged for her workforce to learn how to protect themselves after one of her staff allegedly received indecent images via social media.
It comes amid growing interest, especially among women, in learning about self defence techniques, according to their martial arts instructor.
Miss Hay, who has two shops in Inverness and Nairn, said the incident, which has been reported to the police, had prompted staff members to think about their personal safety.
“I felt it was quite important to have the life skills if something was to happen,” she said.
“I think as women, we can feel vulnerable. We were thinking of ways which could make us feel safer.”
She arranged for Shaun Bell-Higgs, of the S.O.S. School Of Self-defence on the Black Isle, to lead a six-week course at the shop in Nairn’s High Street. It will be followed up with monthly refresher classes.
In total, eight are taking part including Miss Hay, models plus a staff member at another Nairn shop.
“It is about trying to build up confidence and a sense of awareness,” Miss Hay said.
“I think it is a good thing for women to feel that they can cope to get out situations.
“It is interesting for myself. I am learning a lot of things I would not have known – I have never done anything like this before.”
She felt that it was an all-female class helped.
“It is good fun and there is a lot of laughing,” she said.
“Shaun is very good and very understanding. Quite often the class overruns because we have been asking so many questions.”
The course also covers legal aspects such as when it is appropriate to take action.
“Hopefully, we will not have to put the techniques to use,” Miss Hay said.
She said some of the younger women felt they had learned useful tips on how to respond to certain situations if they were out in town at night.
Instructor Shaun Bell-Higgs, a second dan black belt, said there was a growing interest in such classes.
“We have a number of women’s self protection groups around the area and we are looking to expand them,” he said.
“Up here in the Highlands, it is a very fortunate situation for women that they live in a relatively safe environment.
“But that doesn’t mean we are immune to incidents against women. If that was the case, we would not need Women’s Aid, or Rape Crisis
“There are reports of domestic abuse and violence against women.”
He said the aims of the classes were not about teaching people to take the offensive.
It was about reducing the risk of incidents happening.
He noticed, for example, that many people walked around with headphones on, or focusing on their phones which not only put them as risk of injury but could also make them an easy target.
“You are completely shut off from the outside world,” Mr Bell-Higgs said .
It is about having awareness and applying it in everyday life.
“It doesn’t mean you have to walk around regarding everyone as a potential predator..
“It is abour promoting confidence and having the confidence that you are able to do something if you find yourself in a situation and that you are able to protect yourself.”
A range of legal aspects were also highlighted such as any response had to be proportional and appropriate.
Mr Bell-Higgs said the classes teach participants to be prepared.
“There is a saying that if you defend someone, you protect them for a day,” he said.
“If you teach someone self defence, you protect them for a lifetime.”
