What is Empowerment Self-Defense?

Empowerment Self-Defense gives us the power to choose how to respond to violence, without judgement or victim blaming. It empowers us to be in command of our minds, body and spirit. It teaches us that we are allowed to live our lives boldly and freely without fear.

Every person has the right to learn how to defend themselves. Systems of violence are complex, so this requires more than just physical techniques.

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Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is a holistic approach to personal safety which teaches tools to combat the whole spectrum of violence, from verbal harassment to physical violence.

ESD is an evidenced-based primary violence prevention system. It teaches individuals how to interrupt violence by listening to their intuition, assessing their options, asserting boundaries, using de-escalation strategies, and provides tools for a range of mental, verbal and physical responses.