Alicia and Jason Lee Foundation Sponsors self-defense classes amid anti-Asian hate crime

12/29/21, 11:24 AM

Senior citizens fight anti-Asian hate crimes with self-defense

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Badass senior citizens learn self-defense amid antiAsian hate crimes By Doree Lewak December 22, 2021 4:20pm

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Senior citizens fight anti-Asian hate crimes with self-defense

Sammy Yuen teaches free weekly self-defense classes for Asian-American seniors (inset), due to the rise in pandemic-era anti-Asian hate crimes.

Matthew McDermott

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Don’t mess with Mary Yuen, a deceptively slight 71-year-old badass prepared to protect herself with newly acquired martial arts moves in the face of rising hate crimes against Asian-Americans in NYC. “I watch Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan — I feel tough. I can intimidate people,” the Lower East Side retiree told The Post.

But life in her beloved hometown is unrecognizable these days. While the NYC native of Chinese descent always felt safe living in Manhattan, life here has changed radically since the pandemic first overwhelmed the city in March of 2020, which prompted unprecedented — and unwarranted — violence against Asian citizens due to COVID-19 having originated in China. Earlier this month, a 58-year-old Asian woman was assaulted on a subway platform in The Bronx. And despite last year’s social media campaign to #StopAsianHate, anti-Asian hate crimes in New York continue to surge, with a 361% spike from last year, from 28 in 2020, to 129 in 2021, as of Dec. 5.

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Senior citizens fight anti-Asian hate crimes with self-defense

These seniors, learning the fundamentals of self-defense in the wake of spiking hate crime against people of Asian descent in NYC, can really pack a punch.

DailyPay/University Settlement

“We’re in troubling times,” said Yuen. Elderly relatives have been “menaced” around town recently, she said, while friends are outright scared to be defenseless out on the streets.

“They’re not just afraid of the virus, they’re afraid of being attacked — it’s sad,” said Yuen, admitting that her sense of well-being has been affected as well. “I always felt relatively safe all these years — I’m a pretty independent person,” she said. “I used to go to late-night concerts and now I don’t go out at night anymore — it’s a safety issue.”

But thanks to a new free self-defense class she’s taking at the University Settlement, a local LOG IN community center on the Lower East Side, she and approximately 20 other seniors are learning fundamentals in street smarts with martial arts instructors. Yuen, a lifelong dancer, always dancing boxing but she’s embraced sense I’m a flightpreferredNew female shoesI to work at a hotelgloves, Innocent Everythingher Babanewfound I’m a charity attendant and I ‘Prison Bae’ Nyla and this is why waitress ‘scared Vanga, the blind shop worker and of Bruce Lee, martial arts movies.

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Senior citizens fight anti-Asian hate crimes with self-defense

Martial arts instructor Sammy Yuen (no relation to Mary), an Upper West Side father-of-two, wants vulnerable populations to be proactive, and works with students well into their 80s on striking and punching drills during the weekly Tuesday class for seniors. The cafeteria-style room, complete with large refrigerators and a gleaming disco ball hanging from the ceiling, is a bit of a departure for the martial arts master, who is used to practicing in tricked-out fitness studios.

Martial arts expert Sammy Yuen is helping local seniors protect themselves in an increasingly hostile NYC. Matthew McDermott

“I definitely feel that we’ve empowered them — they may not turn into Black Widow, but they can go out and have more freedom.” Yuen, a taekwondo black belt, jiu jitsu master, and former college wrestler, told The Post. The 48-year-old said that he too has been the victim of harassment in the city recently, and his father was verbally assaulted on public LOG IN transportation, where he was told to “Go back to China.”

He said his students — many of whom are lifelong residents of the city or immigrants — all I’m a flight New female I work at a hotel Innocent Everything Baba I’m a charity confide their sense fear.

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Senior citizens fight anti-Asian hate crimes with self-defense

scared — I don’t know what to do if someone attacks me,'” said Yuen. “They don’t leave the house unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Yuen is happy to share the fundamentals of self-defense, focusing on striking and spatial awareness drills. He believes that avoiding dangerous situations — by staying in groups and being aware of one’s surroundings — is the best way for seniors to stay safe.

The Alicia and Jason Lee Foundation has completely funded the self-defense classes at an LES community center, University Settlement.

DailyPay/University Settlement

It’s all working for Mary Yuen. “Now I know what to do in case something happens —I Share Selection won’t be caught flat-footed,” said the septuagenarian, adding with a dash of bravado what a quick study she is. “I’m 5-foot-4, but I can pack a punch. Sometimes when I fight, I’m strong — I can really hurt someone. I try not to punch them back too hard. I look like a weakling, but I’m not.”

The free weekly classes are bankrolled by the Alicia and Jason Lee Foundation, which focuses on criminal justice reform, financial literacy and community initiatives. “We both LOG IN have elderly parents who are very deliberate about the hours they pick to be out in the streets,” said Lee, a financier turned philanthropist. “We didn’t want this, but it’s an I’m a flight New female I work at a hotel Innocent Everything Baba I’m a charity opportunity citizens toand step upwhy and dowaitress something.” attendant and I for private ‘Prison Bae’ Nyla this is ‘scared Vanga, the blind shop worker and got fired for…

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Senior citizens fight anti-Asian hate crimes with self-defense

While Yuen said she’ll continue self-defense classes for the foreseeable future, she does have one plea. “We are one big family, we should care and love each other. It’s a terribly anxious time — I hope we all unite and endure this together.”

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