Dawn Callan: A Woman Who Can Fight
DAWN CALLAN TEACHES MILD-MANNERED CITIZENS HOW TO ACCESS THEIR INNER FEROCITY.By Brett Wilbur
Everyone who writes about Dawn Callan says similar things: that it's hard to believe how tiny she is; that with her blond hair and blue eyes she doesn't look like a bodyguard or a weapons and martial arts expert; that her life, including running her own security agency in Los Angeles and protecting celebrities, reads like an exciting novel. And then there are the endless pages of testimonials from transformed souls who have attended Callan's "Awakening the Warrior Within" workshops, or read her book of the same title, people who say that by learning to overcome their fear and defend themselves they have been able to experience true joy for the first time.
But as I wind my way through narrow roads in Carmel Valley towards Callan's hilltop house, I put all this out of my mind and concentrate on not getting lost. When I knock at the door, Callan ushers me into her tidy house with a friendly but reserved manner. As she crosses her legs on the couch, I notice that she has perfectly pedicured red toes and a gold toe ring. In fact, in this feminine room, the only indication of her livelihood—which includes teaching men and women of all ages how to physically take out an assailant of any size—is a statue of a spear-wielding warrior on a horse battling a dragon.
But then Callan speaks, and it's clear that this is a woman who is completely secure in herself, a woman who, to use her language, is in touch with her inner warrior.
"If your body gives you information, you need to listen to it," she says. "Trust yourself and don't second guess that instinctual knowledge." We discuss that "creepy feeling" I sometimes get around people, and how I usually try to convince myself, out of politeness, to be nice to them. "The first response is usually correct in the body," she explains. "But instead of listening to that instinct and acting from that place, people go up to the cognitive. The cognitive and the gut never agree, and it puts the body at cross-purposes. This applies not just to physical safety, but emotional safety."
For all the psychological and emotional talk, Callan says her work is based on "a very solid, physical system." In over 30 years in the business, she has taken methodology from street fighters, police, para-military training and martial arts and wrapped it into an intensive package of self-defense techniques that she says can be used by anyone—even people with physical or age limitations.
I ask an absurd question, designed to throw her off. "What if you were being attacked by ten men with guns-surely you couldn't defend yourself?" Callan, who believes everyone should be trained to use a gun, even if they don't intend to own one, looks at me steadily. "I won't go out as a victim," she says. "Somebody's going with me. I'd take out as many as I can."
In her classes, she teaches how to act pre-emptively. "Before anything bad happens, you're going to lean how to assess the risk, then eliminate as much danger as possible." Then if necessary, offensive and defensive techniques, such as upper body strikes and powerful kicks, are put into play. "In our classes we practice all kinds of situations so if you are attacked, you are prepared," she says.
And although the physical techniques are crucial to self-defense, Callan says that listening to one's instincts is the best method of protection. "Breathing is the matrix of our system—it allows you to access the belly brain," she says. "When you are living from the belly you can't be controlled or manipulated. Messages that society delivers chip away at our self-esteem and confuse our ability to act and know. The good news is that the truth never goes away—we just need to get stuff out of the way to get to it."
Callan's words touch chords in me almost immediately. As we talk, I feel an old emotional tangle of feelings—old fears—rise in my chest. Callan is empathetic, but remains unperturbed.
"If you learn how to take care of yourself, you can handle any fear," she says. "You can take an adventure and know you are safe. This allows you to take the risks you want because you can back yourself up."
And while she's the first to explain that she's not a therapist, Callan often works in conjunction with counselors and their clients. In the workshops, she respects where people are emotionally before they are put into intensive physical training with padded "attackers."
"We don't throw them to the lions," she smiles. "But when someone's ready, I expect them to do miracles."
After years of studying various spiritual and religious dogmas, Callan says she's at peace with her eclectic approach to spiritualism, and grateful to be able to use her skills to empower others to respect themselves and the planet.
"It's so satisfying to see that even on a small level, it's a better world. I've stayed in touch with almost all of my 6,000 students. They give a lot back."
This article first appeared in the Monterey County Weekly newspaper.
To enroll in a class, please call Dawn Callan at (831) 659-8606 or visit www.awakeningthewarriorwithin.com