A Toronto yoga studio has traded downward dogs for groin kicks to help its members feel safer in a neighbourhood shaken by a rash of recent sexual assaults.

In a break from yogas peace-loving tradition, a team of black belt instructors took charge at Tula Yoga Spa in Torontos west end Sunday evening to launch a six-week street self-defence course.

To hear about (sexual assaults) in your area, its a little bit scary, said Samantha Marchese, a 21-year-old hairdresser whose own safety concerns prompted her to sign up. A lot of people dont think it would happen to them . . . but I think its good to be educated.

Since July, police have received more than 10 reports of sexual assault incidents in the west downtown area.

On Thanksgiving weekend, police got three similar reports of a man assaulting women from behind in the Christie Pits area, prompting officers to urge residents to use more caution, especially when walking at night.

In response, Tula owner Isabel Lambert said she decided to partner with Toronto police and self-defence instructors to create a course to help her studio members feel more empowered on the street.

On Sunday, nearly 20 people joined two Toronto police officers and a group of self-defence instructors at the Tula studio to learn the best ways to avoid trouble on the street and, if necessary, fight off an assailant.

They learned how to escape chokeholds, wrist grabs and, perhaps most importantly given the recent trend, how to respond when approached from behind.

Its called a coward grab, said Alfie Della-Terza, a retired correctional officer who led the class, and the best way to escape is with the tall become small approach crouch and bend at the waist, then push back before twisting around to escape the grab.

The yogis also learned how to escape a ponytail grab, how to twist out of a chicken wing where both arms are trapped, and how to best target kicks to the kneecap, upper thigh and groin.

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Toronto sex assaults: Yoga studio teaches self-defence