When I was growing up, my bestfriend got her black belt in Tae Kwon Do and it was not only aturning point in her life, but also in mine. Insanely jealous, Iasked my parents to sign me up for classes and worked for six yearsto get a black belt of my own. Martial arts helped me to get in thebest shape of my life, but it also shaped me as a person. It gave mea huge boost not only to my work ethic and discipline, but also to myself-esteem.I arrived at site with the vague ideathat it would be fun to teach some sort of women's health orself-defense class, but the idea never really came into action. Ididn't really have a good structure in place and I wasn't sure howwell the men in my community would respond to the idea. I didn'twant to give them the impression that I was training women to becomeviolent. I stuck to teaching a couple of short self-defense classesin camps GLOW and BE and didn't really expect to take it anywherefrom there.
A couple of months ago though, theunexpected took place in my village in the form of the Rubavu Kung Fuassociation. As a new club started forming in my community, I didn'treally know exactly how I would get involved. I was invited to mysector's first promotion ceremony, but didn't think much of itbecause being invited to ceremonies comes pretty standard in the lifeof a Peace Corps Volunteer. However, it was at this ceremony that Irealized just how deeply involved the association really wanted me tobe. The master from Gisenyi gave a speech about gender equality andexplained that Kung Fu wasn't only a sport for boys, but also forgirls, making a point to invite all of them to study. It was laterexplained to me that I was supposed to join the association to helprecruiting girls to practice and to teach was well. I was completelyon the spot and out of my comfort zone, but it was impossible to turndown the opportunity. I was basically given the position ofspokesperson for gender equality and female empowerment via Kung Fuand it wasn't even my idea, but the mens' idea. If gender balance isreally going to work, it has to be supported by everyone, not onlyone of the sexes.
Involving girls in this sport has comewith mixed results. On the onehand, my Sifu (instructor) has asked me to invite girls to the sportand to try to promote gender equality in my community. On the other,he also referred to me as the King Girl with the intention that Iwould be the primary teacher for female students, meaning that wewould also be separate. I was thrilled when we went to a localschool to get new students involved and ended up with a list of girlsin the double digits...and ecstatic when the boys in the clubpromptly informed the headmaster that it would absolutely not beimportant to have two lists because boys and girls would studytogether. On some days, I have seen swarms of girls flood thebasketball courts after school to study, on others I'm the only onepresent. There are however, two girls in particular that are reallysticking with it, both of whom are up for promotion to red belt atthe next test.
Inever really thought I would have the chance to study martial arts inRwanda and I certainly never thought Rwandans would be so open togender balance so I think the two combined are a pretty goodindication that times are changing in Rwanda. I get a kick out ofthe kids that try to imitate my Kung Fu in the streets when they seeme and the old men that greet me as Sifu in the street. I love thatI not only know strong and athletic girls who are willing to studyKung Fu, but also that there is a strong community of men in place tosupport them in doing so. The best part is every Peace Corpsvolunteers' dream. Because this idea didn't come from me, not onlydid I feel like I was pushing it on my community, but I also knowthat it will continue after I am gone. I just get to have the goodfortune of being in the right place at the right time as Rwanda movedtowards having a more balanced society.
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