Please join us on Sunday, August 20th for a free outdoor self-defense workshop taught by WISE's very own Chief of Self Defense Instructor. This self-defense seminar will focus on creating a space to allow its participants to empower themselves by learning universally effective martial arts techniques. This seminar will focus primarily on how to defend from attacks that are common in hate crimes, such as shoves, multiple strikes to the face, and scarf/turban grabbing. It will also cover the “Know Your Rights of Self-Defense.” Come dressed in your regular clothing, not loose gym outfits! Self-Defense Background: @Maryam K. Aziz is an anti-hate crime and anti-islamophobia martial arts/self-defense instructor. She is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karatedo certified under the New Jersey State Black Belt Association (NJBBA) run by Hanshi Anthony D. Lingo. She has been practicing martial arts for over 14 years. She was an assistant instructor 10 years for the NJBBA and the Columbia University Kon Do Goju Ryu Karate Club before becoming the volunteer chief self-defense instructor for the International Muslim Women's Initiative for Self-Empowerment (I’M WISE). She specializes in Anti-Hate Crime/Anti-Islamophobia and Self-Esteem and Mind/Soul Enhancement self-defense seminars and teaches classes throughout the continental United States. She has been teaching Anti-Hate crime workshops since 2013 and developed a 3 hour anti-hate crime workshop after doing research on the most common hate crimes. She has taught over 30 of these workshops since the hate crime increase in 2015. Her techniques and philosophy can be seen in the videos of the self-defense starter kit: selfdefensestarterkit.com. Academic Biography: Maryam K. Aziz has a Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia University, a Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan, and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of American Culture at the University of Michigan. Her research constructs a social and cultural movement history of martial arts practice during the mid to late 20th century. Her work asks how learning martial arts was facilitated by US military activity in Asia. It also asks why activists thought martial arts during the 1960s and 1970s would help achieve liberation from oppression. She has lectured at institutions such the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University and has been on panels for organizations such as Take on Hate.  To learn more about rates and how bring her to your community or as part of your organization’s programming, please email maryamka@umich.edu.