Martial Awareness: Self-Defense and Wellness for Women

Whether you're walking to a job site, leaving the office after dark, or navigating the city every day, awareness is your first line of defense. Join the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee for a special 90-minute workshop at the City Wing Tsun Athletic Association's NYC headquarters, exploring the connection between personal safety, body awareness, and well-being.

Led by Allan Horton, a Brooklyn-based architect and the founder of Alpaca Wing Tsun, with special guest Danielle Pashko, an author, speaker, founder of Soulhakker, and CWTAA member, the session will cover spatial awareness, boundary-setting, verbal and non-verbal de-escalation, and practical responses to common street scenarios.

Participants will learn simple, effective techniques rooted in the Hong Kong Wing Tsun lineage of Ip Man and Bruce Lee, emphasizing awareness, balance, and composure over strength. Pashko will also share how these practices can support nervous system regulation, confidence, and women's wellness. The workshop concludes with a practical movement routine participants can continue on their own to build resilience, readiness, and confidence.

Please Note: All participants must sign a waiver before attending.
Capacity is limited to 25 participants.

Speakers:
Allan Horton, AIA, WELL AP, Founder, Alpaca Wing Tsun
Danielle Pashko, Founder, Soulhakker

About the Speakers:
Allan Horton is a Brooklyn-based architect, owner advisor, and founder of Alpaca Wing Tsun, operating in partnership with the City Wing Tsun Athletic Association. With more than 20 years of experience leading complex projects across architecture, development, and construction, he brings a unique perspective on the connection between the built environment, spatial awareness, and personal well-being. For the past 14 years, Horton has trained and taught Wing Tsun—Southern Chinese Kung Fu—under Sifu Alex Richter. His approach to both architecture and martial arts is grounded in the same principles: awareness, balance, discipline, and continuous growth, empowering individuals and organizations to build confidence and resilience.

Danielle Pashko is a wellness practitioner, author, and practitioner of internal and external martial arts. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in nutrition, movement, nervous system best practices, and mind-body wellness, she helps individuals build resilience by reconnecting with their body's innate capacity for balance and healing. As the founder of Soulhakker and a member of the City Wing Tsun Athletic Association, Pashko integrates functional wellness with martial arts principles to support nervous system regulation, body awareness, confidence, and long-term well-being. In this workshop, she will share practical insights into how these practices can help women cultivate resilience, composure, and strength—both physically and mentally.

In consideration for my attendance and participation in the fitness and/or martial arts training that is part of this event, I the student, participant, parent, or guardian, acknowledge the existence of certain inherent risks in this type of training and hereby agree to assume all risk and responsibility.

I further relieve AIA New York, its volunteers, management, assigned staff, guest instructors and fellow students/clients, from any liability resulting from personal injury or loss of, or damage to, personal belongings.