SEMINAR OFFERING

Hello, hello! We are offering two seminars on Sunday, January 15th! Both the Girls on Guard and the Fight Like a Girl modules of the Women's Empowerment Series. You can sign up for one or both classes. Each class is limited to 12 women, so reserve your spot now.

Realtor Safety

A little warm up on the realtor safety tips we will be discussing during Friday's Fight Like a Girl seminar. This class is appropriate not only for Realtors but any woman who makes house calls: appraisers, loan officers, service/delivery people, accountants, interior designers...and the list goes on.

Realtors - are you aware of some of the danger signals, those times that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Pay attention to those feelings.

-When a new client refuses to meet you at the office first before visiting a property.
-The client will not fill out the guest registration form which includes making a copy of their license.
-The client insists you ride with them to the property.
-The client wants to visit only vacant properties and asks if you will be showing the property alone.
-The client insists you lead them through the house.

The above are watch out scenarios that your new client may have something other than buying a house as their primary intent.

SEMINAR OFFERING

We're back!!!!!! After many months of travel, work and recovery from an injury we are ready to host our next self-defense seminar. We will be offering the Fight Like a Girl module - realtor special edition. Please note, even if you are not a realtor you can still attend this seminar. We will be giving a bonus 30 minutes of realtor safety, appropriate for anyone who finds themselves in vacant properties, hosting open houses, selling new homes, or visiting strangers homes (appraisers, loan officers, delivery people, postal workers, etc). The seminar will be limited to 12 participants, so sign up now. See you there!

SEMINAR OFFERING

Hello one and all. We will be offering both a Girls on Guard and a realtor specific Fight Like A Girl seminar on Sunday, November 14, 2010. Please note, you don't have to be a realtor to attend; anyone can take the Realtor Specific FLAG class, you will just get more information on safety in vacant houses, open houses, etc above and beyond the traditional FLAG seminar. (it is the same price as the regular FLAG seminar) Give me a call or email to register.

NEW FIGHT LIKE A GIRL T-SHIRTS

You asked and we answered: Check out the new Fight Like a Girl logo we have! Designed by Beth Carrillo and Tim Arbon, with final design art work by Tim (the co-instructor and 'bad guy' for our classes). We will be offering shirts with the logo on the back. WOOT! Call or email to pre-order.

SEMINAR OFFERING

Due to an unexpected trip, the last Fight Like a Girl seminar was canceled. My apologies to those who had registered. That's the bad news. The good news is that I am back in town and we are offering a Fight Like a Girl seminar on Sunday October 24th. Woot!

Come down, learn something about women's self-defense, get empowered and kick my co-instructor's butt when he puts on the suit ;) We would love to see you there. Please call or email for more information and to register for the class.

LATEST OFFERING

Well, it's official! The Fight Like a Girl seminar will be offered Sunday, October 3rd. Call to register for our Tucson women's self-defense seminar.

SEMINAR GRADUATES

Congratulations to all the graduates on Sunday July 11, 2010 from the FLAG and GOG classes. Both classes were loads of fun and everyone did a fantastic job. My favorite quote from the day: "I feel strong!" Well done ladies!

SEMINAR OFFERING

We are offering 2 (count them 2!) seminars on Sunday, July 11th. From 10 AM - 1 PM we will be holding the Fight Like a Girl module seminar and from 2 PM - 5 PM we will be offering the Girls on Guard seminar. Participants will learn something different in each class, though they compliment each other.

The fee is $40.00 for each class. A $5.00 discount will be given to returning students, if you bring someone with you or you are taking both seminars! I personally recommend taking both seminars.

Participants will get to practice what they learn on the only male in attendance, the co-instructor, who will be wearing a (very) thick padded suit. Come join us in our women's self-defense seminar. Taught by a woman, for women.

SEMINAR GRADUATES

Congratulations to the most recent graduates of the FLAG program! Great class today ladies. Thank you so much for attending. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

RESISTING AN ATTACK AND PHYSICAL INJURY

“A 1989 FBI study shows that there is no correlation between a victim who resists and the amount of physical injury she sustains. 71% of victims avoid being raped by taking self-protective measures, whereas of the remaining 29% only 8% escaped without being raped.”

University of Florida, Community Services Division website on Sexual Battery

SEMINAR OFFERING

Seminar offering. We will be offering a module 1 Fight Like a Girl class on Sunday June 20, 2010 from 1:30 – 4:30 at our facility on Speedway and Alvernon. The class size is limited, so please register early. Please contact me to sign up.

WOMENS EMPOWERMENT SERIES OVERVIEW

As mentioned before, I am certified to teach women’s self-defense courses from the Women’s Empowerment Series, also collectively called the Fight Like a Girl method. I currently offer two of the modules; the Fight Like A Girl and Girls on Guard courses, with plans to add Defense against Weapons and Weapons for Women courses later this summer.

I’ve had lots of questions regarding the details of the course content. To quote a friend, “Suzanne, what am I going to learn in your seminars and how are they different than the other self-defense class being offered?” To which I responded “Good question, let me sum up.” Though she didn’t get the Princess Bride reference, she did get a better understanding of why this method of women's self-defense is like no other and totally kicks butt. (I would have used a stronger word there, but my Mom reads this blog) Anyway, she kindly listened as I expounded the virtues of The Women’s Empowerment Series, then promptly mentioned I should have this on my blog. (Duh, Suzanne.)

So here you go, a condensed version of what my friend heard. Though I did add in a bit of background information here that she didn’t get. I told her she would have to read the blog. Heh.

So here’s the thing. 1 in 4 women will be attacked in her lifetime. Yes, you read that right – 25% of women will be attacked in their lifetime. 75% of the women will know their attacker. Pretty sobering statistics, aren’t they?

On the flip side, studies show that 50 % of all attackers will break off the attack if a woman even indicates she is willing to resist. That’s right, you double your chances of success when you fight back. Studies also show that women who resist an attacker are not injured any more than women who don’t resist. Now, I’m sure some of you reading the first line closely thought “hmmm, but what about the other 50% of attackers.” Well done. That is what we need to address; that other 50%.

Most self-defense methods were developed by men with the mindset of “if someone were to attack me what would I do?” Though an excellent question, the responses are, by definition, based on what a man would to if attacked by a man. Frequently these moves rely on pain compliance – hurting the attacker until he stops the attack, or they are based on break and escape techniques. And yes, these moves can be effective. For men. For women, not so much.

Have you ever tried to break the grasp of a large man holding your wrist, even just in fun? I have. Didn’t work. And I practice Tae Kwon Do. The problem? Compared to most men I’m small and not nearly as strong. And I was using self-defense methods developed by men to combat other men. What I needed to be utilizing were self-defense moves for women to combat a man.

Women have different strengths then men. Taking these strengths into account and implementing them is how the Fight Like A Girl method of women’s self-defense was developed. That’s why the play on words. In our seminars to Fight Like A Girl is a smart strategy to employ a woman’s strengths to a tactical advantage.

When a man attacks a man it is usually for his money or his life. When a man attacks a woman it can be for her money, life or her body. Women have a whole different set of concerns that men don’t have to deal with. Concerns that we deal with in the Women's Empowerment Self-Defense seminars.

In the opening paragraph I said this method kicks butt. Here’s why, with bullet points:

►This is a women’s self-defense method geared towards the average woman. You DO NOT need to be a martial artist to take these classes. (However, if you are a martial artist, it will add nicely to your training. It did mine.)

►Speaking (earlier) of my Mom; she took the FLAG class and fought off our 255 pound male role-player (“bad guy”). She’s just over 5 feet tall and, well… let’s just say, older. (I don’t think she would like it if I gave out her age to the interwebs.)

►The moves are easy to learn, easy to retain, and easy to implement. At the end of the 3 hour seminar you will walk away with a practical method of self-defense that you have learned in a controlled environment and utilized against a male role-playing attacker – the “bad guy” that is easy to remember in high stress situations.

►And speaking of the ‘bad guy’… at the end of each seminar you will get to practice what you have learned FULL CONTACT and using FULL STRENGTH on our "bad guy" who will be wearing a very thick padded protective suit. For some reason, this is the part of the class participants seem to enjoy the most. (And yes, I know, I should charge extra just for this.)

►These methods teach a woman to use her natural strengths against a man’s inherent weaknesses

►These are women's only seminars. No men will be in the room, except the male role-playing attacker.

►The program provide women the tools and knowledge they need to gain the best chance of effectively defending themselves from sexual assault.

►You will be taught by me, a woman.

So now you have a little more information about what to expect in the Women’s Empowerment Self-Defense courses. Every woman should take these seminars. Let me repeat; every woman should take these seminars.

And speaking of that…we are pretty flexible with the scheduling. We sometimes get big groups who are interested in taking a seminar and will schedule based on when the most women from that group can attend. We also have a running list of women interested in attending and once we get enough people on the list we offer a seminar. We can teach the class with as little as one person (though it is better with more) and up to 20 people. So call or email me and sign up.

You have one life. Fight for it.

LESSONS LEARNED

Over the past few months there has been a rash of attempted child abductions in the Tucson area.

On January 14th a 13 year-old girl was grabbed around the waist by a man trying to abduct her. He covered her mouth and told her not to scream. She did exactly the opposite and yelled until he let her go. She then went to a bus stop where other kids were waiting for the bus.

On January 19th a man in a pickup truck pointed a gun at a girl walking home from school and demanded she get in the vehicle. She ran away and escaped.

On February 5th a man in a pickup truck pulled a girl walking home from school into the vehicle. She screamed and fought with him while he drove until he pushed her out of the truck. She sustained minor injuries.

On February 11th a man tried to pull 2 sisters walking to school into his mini-van. He got the 11 year-old in the car and drove off as the 9 year-old was screaming. Neighbors came out, with one man giving chase. The multiple descriptions of the car and partial plate number quickly led police to the kidnapper. He did not have the girl at the time of his arrest. She was found later, injured and walking in a local park. She sustained the injuries when she fought her attacker.

911 tapes released in Tucson kidnapping case

Abduction of an 11-year old girl: update and arrest

Cops: Child-kidnap suspect not linked to other recent case

Man Arrested in Student Abduction Cases

Four horrific stories and 5 brave girls that did the right thing in a bad situation. The fought, screamed, kicked and yelled for help until their attackers let them go. They followed both the stay with people and go to people principles taught in Fight Like a Girl and Girls on Guard. As a result, 2 of the 3 attackers were arrested and the girls are still alive. What those girls did took courage and strength. Now, take what they did and learn from it. Don’t get in the car. Attract attention. Fight back.

SEMINAR OFFERING

Attention! Attention! Attention! Did that work?

We will be offering the women’s self-defense course (from Defend University's Women's Empowerment Series) Fight Like A Girl (FLAG) on Sunday March 21, 2010. This 3 hour seminar will run from 1- 4 PM and will teach how to effectively escape from common sexual assault scenarios. The investment is $40.00 for the seminar. If you recommend a friend who has not taken the course before, you will receive a $5.00 discount off your fee. Due to the nature of the subject matter discussed in this seminar, participants need to be over 14 years of age and participants under 18 need to have the written permission of a parent or guardian.

The FLAG module emphasizes the “stay with people" principle and covers the most common sexual assault scenarios. In this seminar students will learn what to do when rape is imminent. We will start in the worst possible position (because once you learn to handle that, the others seem easier in comparison) where an attacker has you pinned to the ground then progress to other possible attack senarios. At the end of the class students will have the opportunity to practice their newly learned techniques on male role-players, men in (very) padded training suits, so students can get an opportunity to practice what they learned in a reality based situation. This is a female only class. The only men in attendance will the male role-playing ("bad guys”) instructors. Please email for further seminar and payment information. womensselfdefense@hotmail.com. See you there.

You have one life. Fight for it.

A WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

I’m not much of a girl. You know – a girlie girl. Never have been, don’t plan on every being. No make-up, hair in a ponytail, physical pain when I am forced to wear a dress and heels. I can count on the unmanicured nails of one hand how many times my fingernails have been painted. My sister once observed about a boyfriend of mine, (the kind girls dream of – a flower-bearing, poetry-writing romantic) “Suzanne, if he were a guy he’d be just like you”.

So when I started looking for a women’s self-defense method to teach that was not martial arts based (because I don’t believe you can effectively teach a martial art in 3 hours) and came across “Fight Like A Girl” from the Women’s Empowerment Series developed by Brad Parker out of Phoenix, Arizona (www.rapeescape.com) I had immediate flashbacks to my childhood. The ultimate insults to boy and girl alike: You run like a girl. You throw like a girl. You hit like a girl. You fight like a girl. To which was always the immediate and vehement response – “No I don’t!”. Those taunting words insinuated you were insufficient, inadequate, ineffective.

Weak.

Thankfully, I had been recommended to the self-defense website by someone familiar with it, and based on what she said, continued investigating beyond the title - to finally understand the play on words. Fight like a girl. Intrigued with what I was reading: that this method of self-defense is for all women no matter age, physical ability, conditioning, or training; that it addresses the scenario that all that you’ve done in preparation has gone wrong and you are in the worst position imaginable; that you learn to effectively escape from those positions, I signed up for the instructor’s training class. I went from interested but a little leery and disbelieving to stunned and impressed over the course of 2 days. I learned that fighting like a girl was a compliment, not a criticism. An honor, not an insult. That as a woman I was strong, not weak. I am no longer defensive when someone says “You fight like a girl”, I am proud of it. I even wear the t-shirt.