JEDDAH: Madawi Al-Hussain, a young Saudi female athlete, received a black belt from the Japan Karate Federation (JKF) in martial arts.

Since she was a child, Madawi has been a keen follower of karate films and kung fu which greatly influenced her love of martial arts and self-defense.

In 2004, she started taking lessons in taekwondo but did not continue, instead switching to karate.

Madawi recounted her story: “After a year of training in taekwondo, a karate club for women was opened under the supervision of a Filipino lady. She was very skilled and strict and I learned a lot from her. I continued my training until 2010 after which I was qualified to train children and women.”

Following her move to Washington, she continued her martial arts training. Explaining her experience in Washington, she said: “The club where I trained involved both men and women which presented a new challenge to me because the clubs in Riyadh involved only women. It was more in-depth and involved many new concepts in karate and self-defense. The club also used to invite a police officer to present practical training on the techniques of self-defense.”

Madawi also enrolled for an advanced course in self-defense inspired by the Japanese Aikido martial arts. “In 2013 I went to the Japan Karate Federation to undergo certified tests and received a black belt. I also received a black belt from the United Arab Emirates Taekwondo & Karate Federation,” she added.

In 2014, Madawi continued training when she returned to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, establishing her own program to train girls and women. “In my program, coined 'My Self-Defense', I introduced primary and advanced courses in self-defense. The courses aim to keep women alert and prepared to deal with any situation she might face in her everyday life,” she explained.

The main idea behind self-defense, added Madawi, is for the person to learn how to avoid a possible attack without being harmed, or inflecting harm on the opponent or the enemy-attacker. “One must be aware of and alert about the danger. This applies to men and women alike. The risks and hazards do not differentiate between genders,” she added.