In a small room in the Maison des femmes d’Orléans (Loiret), belts are tied in silence. Here, there’s nothing like a classic karate class. Since June 2024, Annabelle Soubry Ducay, 50, including 35 years as a karateka and several times French team champion, leads workshops every Thursday afternoon aimed at women victims of violence. “They appear when the psychologist thinks they are ready. Many need reassurance, to move forward at their own pace,” explains teachers specially trained for this type of support.
This initiative, integrated into the CHU care pathway, is very popular: 28 participants in 2024, 40 participants this year, including 6 who returned to continue the work started. Here, there are no time limits, unlike other buildings such as the Kremlin-Bicêtre. “Some have been with me since the opening. We see them bounce back, regain confidence. Sometimes, they then continue at a club,” admits Annabelle Soubry Ducay, also a teacher at the Semoy (Loiret) club. Her groups are intentionally small: 12 to 13 women per session, no more, “to create a successful therapeutic atmosphere.”
The first class is very simple: gentle movements, sometimes no contact at all, relaxation inspired by yoga or sophrology. “Some can’t even stand being touched,” stressed the karateka. “We don’t always know their stories: women who were expelled during migration journeys, others who are still in contexts of violence. They know each other, but talk little. We want this workshop to remain a happy place, even if there are occasional tears. »
Decorated belt
Behind this system is the Fight For Dignity association, founded in 2017 by Laurence Fischer, three-time world champion and seven-time European champion. Her commitment began in 2014, during a trip to Congo with Doctor Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize winner and gynecologist. “I met women who were excluded, survivors. I wondered how exercise could be integrated into their treatment pathways,” she said.
Currently, there are 19 such workshops in France, supervised by around twenty teachers specially trained in the violence continuum. “These women suffer from hypervigilance, concentration problems, extreme fatigue. Karate allows them to reconnect with their bodies in a different way,” says Laurence Fischer with joy. Some participants even decorated their belts, a symbol of personal journey.
But the future is still uncertain. The Association finances its activities 55% through private funds and 30% through public subsidies. “The economic situation is difficult, even for me personally. We are worried that there will be an excessive reduction in aid,” the champion warned. “We want to open three additional workshops by 2026, but there is also a risk that some workshops will close due to lack of resources. » Despite everything, Fight For Dignity continues its actions, including in Congo, where it all started.
