Pretty Deadly Podcast

The first rule of self defense is to run, but what if you're already home? Susie & Kate talk about intruders and home invasion, how to use normal household items as self-defense, and having tools for different scenarios from a pushy delivery man to an unwanted house guest to finding a stranger in your home.

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Is self defense punk? Not everyone knows about Susie’s early days in New York as a young punk rocker working at CBGBs. Kate is interested in whether Susie’s love of punk rock as it is related to protecting marginalized people, living on the fringe, and political action underlies her motivation to get a black belt and teach self-defense. Punk is about questioning the status quo, challenging authority, and questioning the order of things. Punk says “F-you” and allows people to be whatever they want to be: “When you empower people is when they start to see the weakness in the structures.”

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When it comes to self defense, how much training do we really need? Do we learn the moves once and we are done like plugging our brains in The Matrix? Susie talks about what it means to prepare and train in self-defense, the difference between practice and preparation, and the meaning of acceptance. By practicing scenarios we can be mentally and physically prepared in the event that we are faced with an attack or conflict.

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Can we ever really get over trauma? This episode is about how, while we might never truly recover in the sense that it is gone, trauma does become part of our story. Kate asks what happens when new traumas trigger our memories of older trauma? Susie talks about how physical training can help with staying present and staying in the moment can help us move forward.

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Can a kiss be a sexual assault? Kate tells Susie about a guy on a train who, just as quarantine was lifted in Berlin, randomly kissed her on the forehead. Kate describes the bodily experience of being violated, also the triggers that might correlate to earlier traumas. Susie describes the “similar instance” versus “triggers" and provides some strategies for the moments after, and recovering from this type of trauma.

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Kate asks Susie whether there are ways to be an active ally and a safe interventionist to help others who are, or about to become, victimized by harassment or a physical attack. Susie gives concrete examples and offers some creative ways to help others who are being targeted by street harassment, domestic assault, sexual assault, racially motivated attacks, and even physical violence.

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Kate and Susie talk about the limitations of government protest and the law in protecting women’s bodies and women’s rights. Susie explains how teaching self-defense is a political act, taking movements beyond the streets, and in the way of empowering women in their own bodies. She shares a story about marching on Washington in defense of Roe v. Wade the first time it was about to get overturned by the first Bush administration. And the time Susie schooled Gloria Steinem on Feminism.

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Runners are a known and obvious target for attackers. Why are women more vulnerable when running and what can we do to protect ourselves. In some ways, runners are an obvious target because we are alone, we might be more distracted. What can we do to be more aware to minimize the chances of being attacked? When we don’t have the option of running during the day, or running with a partner, Susie offers practical ways to improve awareness: look for an anomaly and don’t get tunnel-visioned. Susie also offers tips on how to use your movement as leverage against an attacker and the difference between intuition and paranoia.

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How important is nutrition and self-defense? How does listening to our bodies correspond to how we feed ourselves as well as how we defend ourselves? In this episode, Susie talks about intuitive eating, listening to our bodies, and nutrition as self-care. Susie explains how listening to our bodies, understanding cravings, is a physical way to be true our own needs.

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Strategic thinking, Consciousness, mindfulness, embodiment, being in your body, learning to relax, moving slowly, being present. Patience, applying her martial art, was already part of who she was, but it gave form to who she was. It gave her a channel to be more of herself. Getting deeper understanding of physics, body dynamic ways, in a physical and also esoteric way.

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