“Self-defense begins with a mindset,” Dyan Finguerra-DuCharme revealed to the crowd of Pryor Cashman attorneys gathered at August 10^th’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) event.  A partner in the firm’s Litigation, Intellectual Property and Digital Media Groups, Finguerra-DuCharme is a certified black belt in Bo Fung Do, the martial art geared toward practical self-defense against one or more opponents.  Along with her co-instructor, she has taught this method to thousands of women over the years.

The class focused on navigating high risk environments where escape options are limited, emphasizing real-life, “street fighting” scenarios.  Attendees learned how to recognize potential attacks -  via body language and other tell-tale behaviors - and were shown ways to disrupt or avoid threats before they evolve into full-on altercations.  “It’s about changing your environment in a way that favors you and disadvantages your attacker,” Finguerra-DuCharme explained.

The event culminated with interactive demonstrations of defense techniques that can be used in an actual attack by one, or even multiple assailants. 

At the end of the evening, participants walked away with a new set of skills and an increased sense of confidence.  "The foundational principle of the method," Finguerra-DuCharme underscored, “is that anyone can be taught to fight – and win – against someone bigger, faster and stronger.” 

Throughout the year, Pryor Cashman’s WLI group meets regularly and presents lectures, panels and events that explore topics impacting women in the workplace.  To learn more about our initiative, please visit here.