Kiwanis Club of St. Joseph hosts annual TAKE Self Defense class with YWCA

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The Kiwanis Club of St. Joseph hosted their annual self defense class at Genesis Health Clubs.

Each year, the Kiwanis Club alongside the YWCA hosts Take Self Defense, where women and children can take a free self defense class to learn skills in the chance they're attacked.

The Take organization came after Ali Kemp was murdered in 2002, and since its inception, thousands of women have partaken in this self defense class and have utilized the skills they've learned.

The Kiwanis Club says that these classes boost confidence and give people a safe way to practice self defense, should the need ever come.

"If someone's standing too close to you, they're invading your space, and it's okay to step away from them and not apologize," said Ebony Smith, a board member of the Kiwanis Club of St. Joseph. "If they say, I'm sorry I was standing next to you or whatever, you say, it's okay. You don't have to say that. It's your space. You can learn to own that and know it's okay to tell people to kind of stay back."

This annual class is free and open to any women or children who would like to take it.

For next year's, keep a lookout on the Kiwanis Club social media pages.