'Fearless' Queens Seniors Fighting Back!

Senator Addabbo’s Director of Special Events, Pete DeLucia, portrays the "attacker" while Fearless Fighting Females founder Evon Reyes demonstrates how to fend him off to men and older adult woman at the Middle Village Senior Center. (Click to enlarge photo.)

Addabbo Brings Self-Defense Class to Elderly

New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., brought a self-defense class to Middle Village led by a local woman trained in martial arts, part of a series of demonstrations he is co-sponsoring with her at senior centers around his district this summer.

Co-sponsor and Fearless Fighting Females founder Evon Reyes demonstrated techniques to fight off an attacker before dozens of older adults who took her one-hour class at the Middle Village Senior Center, 69-10 75th Street; 718-894-3441.

Senator Addabbo’s Director of Events, Peter DeLucia, says that more self-defense classes are planned for local senior centers this summer.

"We're proud to announce that additional classes will be held on Thursday, August 25, at the Ridgewood Older Adult Center, located at 59-14 70th Avenue, Ridgewood, and the Woodhaven Richmond Hill Senior Center, located at 78-15 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven. The class in Ridgewood will start at 9:30am, and the Woodhaven class will start at 11am," said DeLucia.

Adds Reyes, “I felt compelled to do something. I needed to help other women and girls.”

“There are six basic things we can do as women to help reduce our chances of being attacked. Every time I teach those basics in a class, I feel empowered by my women students and it fills me with so much joy. I definitely feel I receive so much more than what I give. I am excited to teach older adults how to fight off an attacker," the instructor concluded.

Senator Addabbo notes, “Most of my district’s senior centers are predominantly attended by women. When I met Evon Reyes and she described her self-defense classes, which specialize in personal development and assertiveness training for women of diverse ages, I knew my seniors would welcome the idea. Evon’s training methods have produced positive results in the lives of her students who don’t want to become tomorrow’s crime statistics. We’re hoping many men at the centers will also fearlessly join the classes."

Fearless Fighting Females was founded in 2010 focused on two goals: to empower women by reminding them of what powerful and spectacular creatures they are; and to reaffirm what all women should already know -- that no obstacle or challenge can stop them from dreaming or making their dreams come true.

According to Reyes, “Fearless Fighting Females is for all of us who fight to overcome our deepest fears so that we may conquer the challenges of tomorrow."

Reyes has volunteered her time to local organizations and within her community by offering free one-hour self-defense workshops with WET Production Risk Takers Program, Girl Scouts of America, and the York College Women’s Center.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Evon Reyes, please call her at 347-351-6782 or e-mail Fearlessff.info@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of Judy Close, Press Office of New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr