VOICE OF A WARRIOR

Welcome!

Voice of a Warrior was founded to provide empowering and effective self-defense in a safe and trauma-informed environment to anyone who wants to learn it.

Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is a little different from other self-defense classes you might have heard about or taken. We know that effective self-defense is a lot more than just fancy martial arts and what you can do with your body. It's about having the tools to advocate for yourself in all areas of life -- not just for what you don't want, but also what you do. And our self-defense is for everyone.

Did you know that most assaults and intrusions that occur in a person's life are perpetrated by people they know? Only teaching complicated, violent physical self-defense for a hypothetical boogeyman isn't going to cut it. We need to learn techniques and concepts that will help us in realistic scenarios that we might face in our lives -- things like boundary setting, awareness, recognizing warning signs in others' behavior, assertiveness, de-escalation, and verbal self-defense skills (in addition to the physical ones) to help us in any situation that might arise.

These skills benefit you not only in dangerous situations, but in your everyday life as well. Having the tools to assert what you do or don't want in any situation will help empower you to advocate for yourself with confidence, and help keep you safer.

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We're glad that you're here. Look around, find out more about Who We Are, check out the workshops we offer, and if you have any questions about us, ESD, or anything in between, we'd love to hear from you.

This isn't another list of things you "shouldn't" do

How many times have you been told "not to go out after dark?" "Don't wear your hair in a ponytail?" Or, "never listen to music with both headphones?"
We're not here to limit what you can do. We are here to provide the information and skills you need to do what you want with confidence.

All people have the right to defend themselves.

4 Tenets of VoW's Self-Defense:

Self

We offer tools to help build the self-awareness needed for clear boundary setting. Start to sort through why you say yes or no to people. Do you really want to do that, or are you just being polite?

Knowing what we want or don't want in any given situation can be harder than it looks. But we can't set boundaries and advocate for ourselves if we don't know what we want!

Voice

Your voice is one of your most powerful tools, in self-defense and in everyday life. The ability to articulate what you want is vital -- it's how you advocate for yourself and others. Clear communication can only help your relationships.

Agency

Agency is your ability to take action. You know what you want, and you have the tools to make it happen. Stand up for yourself, say no (or yes) unapologetically, and take back your space!

Potential

The quest for assertiveness and confidence is a lifelong journey. Pursue whatever aspects of our classes are most attractive to you! If you love grappling, check out jiu jitsu. If learning how to set strong boundaries is your jam, there is a whole world of ESD waiting for you.