Bears get physical
Harbour City Bears will put some grunt behind their growl thanks to a series of self-defence workshops.
HCB, in conjunction with the City of Sydney, will host two self-defence workshops for members looking for a new way to socialise while learning some self-defence moves.
Event coordinator Jonny Bastin said response to the idea so far has been encouraging.
There’s this notion of bears being these big, beefy blokes who would never get into trouble, but some members have found themselves in trouble after having a few drinks at Den night, Bastin said.
Other members find that they attract a bit more attention than they’d like because they’re dressed in leather, so these are just some of the situations that the instructor will gear the sessions towards to teach our members how to stay safe.
Though the idea for the sessions may have come about as a result of the influx of violence in the Oxford St area, Bastin says the classes are also about bears getting out and socialising in a different environment.
In the past, a lot of our social outings have revolved around hanging around the bar, Bastin said. Since our new committee came in we’ve been looking for more ways to get involved with the community and give back to our members.
The first class will be held at ACON on 18 October, with the second one scheduled for 15 November at a yet-to-be confirmed location. A deposit of $10 is requested before the start of each session but is fully refunded at the end, making the classes free to all HCB members.
info: To join the Harbour City Bears, or to learn more about the self-defence classes, head to the Flinders on a Friday or email Jonny at [email protected].
