Good on you Peter. My sons learned karate with him. If he offers a course near you-take it. Learn some skills and don't be an easy target.

@Shirley #1: Did you not hear about Phillip Cottrell, the Radio NZ Producer who was beaten, robbed and later died of his injuries? It was a tragedy, and shows that both men and women alike are vulnerable to malicious, unprovoked attacks in the CBD. Good on you Peter Jennings for trying to make a difference.

@ #1 Gosh Shirley, I'm a girl and i'm cringing at your comment. males get attacked by thugs, females could also be thugs, read enough news out there or do you pick and choose what trickles down to your conscious? Fully agree with #8 Grant.

And good on ya Peter Jennings for what you're doing. I should get myself to a self defence class in CHCH where I live too, I dont feel too safe walking alone being a female and having a certain ethnic look. So far I'm getting drive-by racist comment. Words dont hurt me, but I live in fear of physical attacks. Fear is worse than the actual assault some times.

Big ups to your courageous wife standing up to those cowardly thugs. Unprovoked attacks in NZ has been on the increase for a while and it was a number of years ago that these attacks had already reached an unacceptable level.

@ Shirley #1 It is attitudes and comments like yours that are the reason why Men's health is ignored and why Men lead the suicide rates. You obviously consider men to be second class citizens and not worthy of the time and energy of the all wonderful women. Funnily enough, attitudes like yours lead to the alienation of men and produce the types of "thugs" that you seem to expect men to be. Men arn't the problem, attitudes like yours are!!

Sign me up!

@shirley#1

Shirley you cant be serious?

there were self defense lessons for a week or so at my college.

Unfortunatly that week was while i had my leg in plaster i think its a great idea to teach self defence.

I dont need to be a black belt in karate i just need to be able to know what to di if the situation ever occurfed that i had to defend myself.

Shirley#1. For your info a friend of mine, a male, was attacked by three females one night while walking to the railway station. They were after his phone. This problem is not gender based.

@Shirley

because only men are thugs aye Shirley.