Can’t see a location near you?
When Smart Defense becomes available in your area, you will be among the first to know.
ENROLL IN SMART DEFENSE
Smart Defense emphasizes the education surrounding sexual violence prevention—in addition to the martial arts techniques used for defense and escape. Participants learn important concepts like consent, boundaries, red flags, situational and bystander awareness, as well as how to properly create space to escape an attack.
By working closely with highly trained mixed martial arts experts and law enforcement professionals, we have hand-picked self-defense techniques and skills from several martial arts styles, including Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Muay Thai. Each technique was selected with the objective of giving individuals the best chance or advantage to either stop a potential threat or escape an attacker.
What to expect:
As you prepare to begin your training, please consider the following:
Arrive 10 minutes before class starts
Bring water and hand sanitizer
Wear comfortable clothing that’s easy to move in, such as yoga pants and a t-shirt
Bring flat sole or running shoes
No jewelry
Put your hair up if possible
Please silence your cell phone and check it only during breaks
Photos and videos during class are not permitted
Come with an open mind
Have fun!
Learning self-defense is empowering and fun, but it also requires physical, hands-on training that may take you outside your comfort zone. If at any time, you feel triggered, unsafe, or simply need to take a personal moment, please let your instructor know right away.
Smart Defense is a safe space, but also a brave space. It’s very likely that some of the participants in your Smart Defense class will be survivors of sexual abuse or violence. Please respect their boundaries and keep in confidence any experiences they may share.
Please contact Miyo Strong at miyo@elizabethsmartfoundation.org