An Interview with the Amazing Self-Defense Instructor Lydia Zijdel

Lina Khalifeh Founder of SheFighter in her New Online Interview Show called " The Empowerment Zone" will be conducting a series of Interviews with women in different backgrounds of Martial Arts, Feminists, Entrepreneurs, Spiritual Leaders, Humanitarian Entrepreneurs, and much more. To discuss different Inspirational topics around Martial arts, Energy, Mind, spirituality and Life.

In this Interview, you will get to meet Lydia Zijdel from Netherlands (NL, 1951). She is a high-ranked wheelchair martial-arts woman (3rd Dan Karate, 3rd Dan Aikido), self-defence and martial arts instructor, sport and physical activity trainer and patronage of the Lydia Zijdel Foundation. She is an international consultant and trainer on disability, gender and sport.

Following a car accident in 1982, she became paraplegic and has used a wheelchair ever since and started Aikido in 1983. She has been in Hombu Dojo in Japan twice; in various other dojo’s around the world and demonstrated her Aikido to Doshu (grandson of the founder of Aikido) and was uke of Dojocho (great grandson of the founder) on several international occasions.

Lydia was involved in the drafting of the gender/disability paragraphs in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.