Self-defense classes on rise in NY

Surging hate crimes prompt Asian Americans to stand up against violence

A growing number of self-defense classes are emerging in New York to teach Asian Americans how to defend themselves in the wake of racist attacks against members of their community.

Sammy Yuen set up weekly classes last year to teach older Asians self-defense skills at the University Settlement Center in Manhattan. Yuen, who has trained in martial arts for decades, said he wanted to help others amid the rise in violent crime against Asian Americans.

"When we first started teaching (older Asian people) they gave us feedback and said they saw what was happening in the news and they'd say, 'I don't know what to do, I'm scared, I want to go to my house, I want to do chores and stuff' and they were like, 'What happens if someone attacks me?'"

Yuen said his classes are designed to create situational and environmental awareness. He stresses the importance of spotting things that may appear threatening and give a potential victim enough time to get away.

His classes are not about getting into a fight or disarming someone, he said, but are designed to help people be extremely aware of danger so they can avoid violence.

Yuen recently extended his classes to more locations and now runs seminars from East Harlem to Flushing, in the borough of Queens. The classes are at capacity with more than 50 people attending and 50 more on a waiting list.

Mary Yuen, 71, one of the students, said she had learned that it was important to be "aware of your surroundings".

The age range of those who attend his classes is 18 to seniors, Yuen said. Women in particular are very interested in taking the classes, as are working professionals.

" (In light of these hate crime attacks) people are wanting to learn these skills … We want to help everyone feel comfortable moving around and giving them the freedom to go about their day without feeling afraid," he told China Daily.

Another self-defense class for Asians has been set up in New York by Henry Zhang along with his friend Jon Hu. They started the Dragon Combat Club in 2020.

The volunteer self-defense class in Chinatown aims to help prepare people against the rising tide of hate crimes. The classes are mostly virtual and taught three days a week. Zhang also holds sessions in which he teaches combat skills.

He used to do martial arts for fun but now believes it could help save his life, he said.

Chong Bretillon, who attends Zhang's classes, said she hopes the skills will help her feel safer when she is traveling on the subway or while walking home.

Since the start of the pandemic, Asian Americans have experienced a surge in anti-Asian violence in New York and elsewhere.

Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition of organizations, recorded 10,300 attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from March 2020 to September 2021.

In December New York police said hate crimes in the city had doubled over the year, with a 361 percent rise in attacks on those of Asian ethnicity. There had been 129 anti-Asian incidents reported by December, compared with 28 in the corresponding period in 2020.

Deadly assaults

At least four Asian people have died in New York this year as a result of an alleged hate crime.

Steven Zajonc, 28, was charged with seven counts of assault and attempted assault as hate crimes, seven counts of aggravated harassment and harassment after he spent two hours attacking Asians in several parts of Manhattan.

In another case, a 67-year-old woman of Asian descent was hit 125 times on March 15 as she entered her apartment building in the New York suburb of Yonkers.

Tammel Esco, 42, was arrested and charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of assault as a hate crime, police said.