With a rash of assaults in North Seattle, people may undoubtedly be concerned about self defense.

Between Friday, Feb. 8 and Monday, Feb. 11, four separate incidents of assault occurred in North Seattle. In three of the cases, the description of the suspect is between the ages of 20 and 30, between 5-foot-7 and 6 feet, 140 to 160 pounds and with short brown hair. One suspect may be responsible for all three of the cases, but police are unsure if all of them are linked.

On Wednesday, Jan. 23, Fighting Chance Seattle offered a free community kickboxing and self-defense class at Umpqua Bank in Ballard. Neighbors were taught the basics of boxing, Muay Thai and karate.

While the event is long gone now, it's not too late to learn a few moves yourself. Fighting Chance Seattle offers drop-in kickboxing classes and self defense classes for women. You can learn more about them here.

Here are some photos from the community event. All photos and captions are courtesy of Fighting Chance Seattle.

Students from our Black Belt Program volunteered to hold pads and demonstrate techniques.

Emily demonstrates a Muay Thai knee strike. This is a common technique in mixed martial arts.

Participants line up to practice Muay Thai elbow strikes with Krista.

Adding a shoulder grab transforms the Muay Thai knee strike into an effective women’s self-defense technique.

Thanks to Candace Cothran, the branch manager at Umpqua Bank for reaching out to us and hosting this free community event.

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