SelfDefense

Find a self-defense class in your area

Congrats for investigating this! Below are GFB’s favorite women’s self-defense programs which offer classes nationwide. Please visit their websites to find a class near you. If you don’t see a class scheduled, contact the local instructor. In many cases they will put together a class if you can rouse up some of your girlfriends! Also keep in mind there are MANY independent instructors who are excellent...we simply don’t have the resources to maintain the vast national list right now. The schools/programs below should give you a good head start. Good luck!

R.A.D. Systems (Rape Aggression Defense) www.rad-systems.com
R.A.D. classes are normally 9-12 hours long, often taking place over 4-6 sessions. They are often hosted by law enforcement or campus security teams. The classes start out gradual, watching demonstrations and practicing the techniques against pads. The final class is what’s called “simulations.” Students wear protective gear during this final class, and are put into simulated scenarios of real attacks. The male instructor carries out the mock attack and wears a Red Man suit.

Model Mugging www.modelmugging.org
Model mugging courses are 20 hours long, usually taking place over 5 sessions. Most Model Mugging locations are totally independent, and not part of a “chain.” From day one, you will be striking a padded attacker. Often times the suit used in Model Mugging is referred to as the Bullet Man. (He has a big bubble-looking head so you can hit full force.) Bullet Man is so heavily padded that students don’t need to wear any gear. The final class is called “graduation” where you fight off the Bullet Man in an unscripted situation while your friends and family cheer in the crowd. (It’s totally optional - you don’t have to invite anyone.)

IMPACT www.impactpersonalsafety.com
IMPACT is very similar to the Model Mugging curriculum, but IMPACT schools are more organized and unified as a national chain. We have taken classes at both, and don’t see many differences in the actual material that is taught. They are both excellent, so whatever is the most local is probably your best choice. Both IMPACT and Model Mugging are the most intense, but offer the most long-term benefit.

The National Women’s Martial Arts Association www.nwmaf.org
If you are interested in learning self-defense while also learning martial arts, check out NWMAA for resources and instructors. We have not trained with them yet (but we plan to in summer ‘07), so here is the description from their website: Instructors certified by the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation are skilled in both physical and verbal self-defense skills, knowledgeable about violence against women, have strong backgrounds in the martial arts, and support empowerment as a goal of women’s self-defense.

The American Women’s Self-Defense Association www.awsda.org
This listing includes graduates of their Rape Prevention Course. Most are individuals who are certified, as opposed to being schools or ongoing programs. They can teach a 4-hour, medium contact class. This means you pair up with partners to practice techniques, but you do not hit full force. A good intro class if you just want to understand the basics.