When I Got Assaulted

Right before Chinese New Year, I was closing out a private lesson with a client. We were going through her playback when I noticed a small white camera phone peeking through the ledge of our studio door. It was early-is, no one was supposed to be there so I went to check it out. A man, passing out flyers, was getting ready to walk through the fire exit when I confronted him. In his right hand was the same phone I just saw with the camera feature on. I immediately snatched it from his grasp and called out to my student to inform security.

He didn’t need to speak English to understand what I was saying because he began apologizing. He even got down on his knees and kowtowed. I walked back into the studio to put on some pants when he grabbed me from behind in an attempt to get his phone back. No one had ever laid a hand on me before like that.

Outraged, I pushed back and fought. Pole dancers are really strong and I must’ve taken him back by surprise because I was easily able to knock him back against a wall, in which he fell over and started crying. I ran back over to the fire escape exit, screamed ‘fire’ (because that’s what you in an emergency) and that I needed help. Security ran up and took hold of the situation.

We called the police but nothing came out of it; they said he was more of a nuisance than anything else and that I wasn’t physically hurt. I left the building smelling of that man.

I was angry at myself for not fighting harder, for not inflicting more harm on him. We have a rack full of seven-inch heels, couldn’t I have done something?

But I am sure he will never step foot on the floor of my studio (and hopefully in the building) ever again. Because the next time, I will be ready. And I hope you will be too if it ever happens to you.