WHAT IT REALLY TAKES BY GULSHEN BANO

I’m Gulshen Bano, owner and instructor of Strike Back Self Defence for Women. I empower women and girls across the globe with easy to learn self defence skills so they can stay safe and protect themselves from violence and threats of violence.

I run the only ‘Women's only’ Krav Maga self defence school in the UK. 

Has it been an easy journey to get here? Hell No!

Would I want to be doing something with an easier path? Never! I honestly believe I have the best job in the world!

So to be a successful woman in my field what has it taken?

It has single handedly been the toughest journey of my life be where I am today. It’s taken years of hard dedicated training, sweat, blood and tears. It’s taken being given a bloody face and black eyes after being punched in the face by men twice my body weight and more than a foot taller than me. It’s taken being kicked in the head and given concussion by a 6’3” male sparring partner who felt threatened by a petite 5’0” female who was outskilling him. 

The misogyny you have to overcome on a day to day basis as a woman in general is pretty wearing, now add in the fact that most men feel the world of martial arts and Krav Maga is their territory alone and there is little or no place for a woman. Especially a woman from a different ethnic background and one with brown skin. The fight is suddenly so much harder and you have to prove yourself over and over, again and again.

Krav Maga is considered one of the toughest combat systems in the world. It’s a hand to hand combat system designed to stop your attacker in their tracks. There are no rules and from gauging eyes to ripping groins and even delivering bone breaking manoeuvres it is without a doubt, brutal.

And that is exactly what I love about it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a violent person. I’m a pharmacist with over 23 years of experience by profession, so caring for people and having empathy is ingrained in me. But having experienced real world violence in my line of work I also know what it is like to be up against an attacker or threat that is physically bigger and visibly stronger than you. 

As a female if you are faced with threats of violence, or an attacker carrying a weapon or a perpetrator that has profiled you and decided you are going to be his next target or victim, then you want every skill in your toolbox that is going to level the game for you and potentially save your life.

This is what Krav Maga gives you. 

I’ve spent evenings away from my two boys, training relentlessly three to four times a week when they were little. I’ve missed family celebrations because of gradings to get to the next level. I missed my little boy’s ninth birthday because I was away qualifying to be an instructor. He has never forgotten.

As a woman and a mother, the sacrifices to get an equal footing and be not only as good,  but better than your male counterparts is never ending. You always have to do more, prove more and show more to get respect. 

I had decided a while back that I would open a ‘Women's Only’ school once I got my instructor qualification. From my experience in this field I knew how vital it was to provide a safe space for women and girls to come to learn these life saving self defence skills in an environment free from judgement. 

Carving out a space to get my school and business to where it is now and to be recognized in this field as a ‘go to’ place for womens self defence has been tough. At times the threats and trolling from bruised and fragile male egos in this small world of Krav Maga and Martial Arts has been pitiful at best and honestly shameful and alarming to see.

I have had the huge privilege and good fortune over the last few years to find my circle of supporters. Women who empower others, believe in helping you rise and unwaveringly cheer for you to drown out the noise of the doubters. 

They have made their own sacrifices to reach their goals and to follow their visions. They understand as a woman what it takes. Without them I may have thrown in the towel on multiple occasions over the last few years.

I have collaborated with so many as we grow our businesses and support each other on this journey. I’ve been fortunate to witness so many of their amazing successes.

In fact we co authored a number 1 bestselling book together called ‘How To Create Everything That You’ve Never Had’.

This fantastic book showcased the tremendous and often painful journeys that we have been on individually to reach our goals and make our visions a reality. For so many of us this book was real therapy and made us realise how far we had truly come. 

It’s one of my proudest achievements to date.

My business is successfully growing and expanding globally, as I continue to impact women and girls everywhere. I work as the Women's global self defence Instructor for the fantastic domestic abuse survivor’s charity ‘Hopeful Handbags Global.’ Together we are reaching women across the world to empower them with these vital skills.

Here in the UK, I have just opened my not for profit CIC so I can reach even more females within communities across this country. Often those that need to learn these skills the most are in areas of economic poverty, but the need to empower them with skills so they can stay safe from everything from knife crime to domestic abuse is as crucial as it is anywhere in the world.

I am beyond proud to have achieved everything I have done. I am so proud of my business and the difference it makes to females on a daily basis. The sacrifices and hard work have been something I could never have imagined but knowing I am impacting and helping save women’s and girls lives across the globe every day, is worth every single one of them.