It's a Saturday morning and I watch seven girls learning to calmly, quickly, and fiercely move out of choke holds and two-hand arm grips. The doors and windows are open, and warm light bathes the room. Kunchana, their self-defense instructor, reminds the girls to focus, to maintain eye contact, and encourages them to believe in their strength. One moment, they're giggling, unsure of themselves, the space, and the power of their bodies and minds. The next, they're escaping a hold from someone twice their size, their eyes wide. Kunchana looks at me after practicing the latest technique with one young woman and says, “she is very strong.”