Women need martial arts as defense against violent partners

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic chapter of the International Alliance of Battered Women on Tuesday recommended that women learn martial arts as self defense, to avert aggression from their partners.

Spokeswoman Cinthia Rosario said most attacks by men against women result from the male’s physical superiority, but can be averted with basic knowledge of martial arts.

She cited the case of former American beauty queen Sandra Kurdas, battered by her husband and TV mogul Frank Jorge Elías more than once, who was prosecuted and briefly jailed.

"We’re not proposing a physical confrontation between men and women. No, what we’re doing is urging women to practice martial arts, to repel or avoid any physical assault by their partners," said Rosario during a press conference at the Dominican Journalists Guild.