Thursday, October 28, 2010

Brave Survivor Credits Martial Arts Classes

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Less than two months ago, Marti Hill was lying inside her Prairie Village home with her throat slashed, left for dead. Saturday, she was at Traditional Martial Arts and Fitness sharing her story of survival.

Traditional Martial Arts and Fitness held an event Saturday to raise money for Hill's medical bills and loss of wages. Many of the attendees were working up a sweat with a kickboxing class that Hill once took with them. Hill said she felt like her workouts prepared her to survive her brutal attack and encouraged other women to consider the connection.

"I knew a little bit about self-defense," Hill said, "but not that much, and I wish I knew more."

One of her regular workout partners, who's been kickboxing for seven years, is convinced the classes are an asset that extend beyond the physical aspect.

"It becomes a part of you, and you do feel more confident that you're in more control, that you don't have to just lay down," said Sue Bucklin. "You can stand up. You can fight back."

Bucklin also credited the classes for a sense of community.

"We become a tight family and everybody pretty much knows everybody. And we wanted to be part of helping one of our own," she said.

Hill said that togetherness was one of the most important parts of the healing process. Although the fundraiser focused on fitness, the message she most wanted to get out was to cultivate friendships and remember their value.

"It's been very emotional having that many people that you're feeling their caring," she said.

26-year-old Brian Pennington, a handyman who had done work for Hill two weeks before the attack, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder.

To contribute to Hill's fundraiser, go to HelpHugs.com.

from http://www.kctv5.com/news/25490264/detail.html

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