WOMEN HELPING WOMEN-by Evelyn (Eve) Adams

Story series about women of SLO, dedicated to helping other women in San Luis Obispo County.

A Valentine Story and a lot more---

When Sensei Dahrla, a single mother of 4, with one child still at home, moved to 5-Cities from Visalia four years ago, she moved to further her career in landscape design. What took place shortly after the move would change her life and bring great happiness to her family, as well.

Dahrla has been a committed student of martial arts since 1991, the year her daughter, then 10, was assaulted on her way home from school in Eugene, Oregon. Some time after the attack, Dahrla enrolled her daughter and oldest son in a local martial arts studio that practiced Shudokan Karate, an Okinawan form of martial arts. Dahrla's fascination grew as she watched her children's surprising progress. Dahrla soon began studying Okinawan Martial Arts as well. Today, her three oldest children have attained the level of 1st Degree Brown Belt in Shudokan Karate. When asked how Dahrla's daughter is today, she states, "My daughter is a strong and confident young woman and the mother of two incredible children. I couldn't be prouder."

So it was that shortly after her move here, Dahrla enrolled herself and her youngest son, Loki, in a new studio. It was there, at United Martial Arts Association in Grover Beach, that she met her husband, Master's Hall of Fame member Master Bill Mailman, a 7th degree Black Belt and Headmaster of the studio. They were married in their DoJo on October 8th, 2004 in full dress uniform with their students in attendance. Today, Dahrla and Loki have both earned their Black Belts in Shaolin Kempo, the Chinese Martial Arts of the Shaolin Temple Monks.

Dahrla was drawn to the new study of Chinese Martial Arts, in part because of its fluid nature, which takes elements from Karate, Kung Fu and Ju Jitsu. A lot of the techniques . are less about offense than they are about defense in a more circular motion. The Shaolin Kempo practitioners turn their attackers own momentum against them, so it is a perfect fighting style for women. When watching the "forms" or choreography of movements, the viewer is reminded of a graceful and fluid dance. Sensei Dahrla shared that the ancient martial art form was founded in 527 by an Indian traveler, Bodhidharma , when he visited the Shaolin Monks to find that they were being victimized ruthlessly by local bandits. The priests, then very weak physically, were constantly at risk. Throughout the succeeding centuries, the priests added their own twist to their training when they incorporated the fighting stances and movements they'd observed in animals. Their martial art form is also known today as the "5 Animal Style."

Sensei Dahrla admits to finding her calling. She specializes in women's self-defense training, as she teaches women to build their strength, agility, coordination and self-confidence. The special courses she teaches in self-defense are non-ranked classes (meaning no belts are awarded) and stress the practical techniques of defense against "empty handed attacks" (without weapons) including chokes, grabs and lunges as well as escapes from various types of holds. In addition, techniques in defending against attackers wielding knives, guns and clubs are taught.

Beginning January 9th, Sensei Dahrla Mailman will be teaching an 8 week, 2 classes per week self-defense series in cooperation with Central Coast Yoga, at 908 Grand Avenue, Arroyo Grande. For more information email Sensei Dahrla: kungfugoddess@aol.com or call United Martial Arts @ 473-3102.

(Eve is the founder of the All Women's Creative Cooperative, now in 5-Cities and the Good Idea Expediter (GIE) of Brave New Wares Development Group, in service to "women at risk" and homeless. She is a domestic abuse and homeless survivor.)