Bogotá Hosts 4th Session of Guardian Girls Aikido Academy
On March 29, 2025, Guardian Girls Colombia (GGC), the national committee of KIF Colombia, hosted the fourth session of the Guardian Girls Aikido Academy at the Centro Cultural del Japón, Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. The Academy is part of the Guardian Girls Aikido project, launched in 2024 under a bilateral MOU between Guardian Girls International (GGI) and the Latin American Aikido Union (ULA-IAF) to help prevent gender-based violence (GBV) across Latin America.
Within two weeks, 52 women registered following promotion on social media and invitations to past Academy participants. Attendance reached 29 women, exceeding the typical capacity of 10–15 participants for the hands-on format. The “10 Seconds to Survive” session provided practical Aikido-based self-protection techniques to help women preserve their safety in dangerous situations. Known as the “martial art for peace,” Aikido holds particular relevance in Colombia and the broader Latin American region.
The session was led by Sandra Lugo, Chief Instructor and member of the Federación Colombiana de Aikido. Participants continued engaging through the Guardian Girls Colombia's Mental Health Program, which offers psychological and behavioral tools to strengthen personal empowerment, and ongoing interaction.
