Personal Safety and Self Defense for children, teens and adults.
Women and men, safety and self defense
Safety and Self-protection for Women and Men
FULLPOWER and WORKPOWER
(Also see: Personal Safety for Young Adults and College Students)
In California, sign up for a FULLPOWER workshop now!
"I often work late on a project or arrive early for a meeting, and I haven't felt safe in the parking lot or in the building. Now I
feel confident that I could prevent or escape a lot of different situations."—FULLPOWER workshop participant
In our lifetimes, we face a higher risk of dealing with a violent assault than of being in a serious car accident.
The good news is that learning to protect ourselves is much less complicated than learning to drive a car. We offer self-protection workshops for women and for men of all ages and abilities.
FULLPOWER programs give participants the opportunity to practice taking charge of their personal safety by
- protecting their personal boundaries
- de-escalating a threatening confrontation
- dealing with verbal attack
- stopping sexual harassment
- using physical self-defense to get away from an assault.
Participants work with the instructors to set up role-play scenarios that address their specific concerns, such as dealing with a potential assault while taking care of small children or being confronted by an angry customer in the workplace.
Everyday safety skills programs focus on awareness, boundary setting, verbal self-defense and de-escalation techniques. Full force self defense programs include all of these elements as well as the opportunity to practice physical self-defense skills with a head-to-toe padded instructor. Workshops are offered in a variety of formats, including one-day or evening introductory workshops, programs for women or men only, and an intensive training of twenty hours or longer.
Many students tell us that FULLPOWER training changed their lives
"Every day I think about what I learned in those few short hours with you. I can't believe how much more confident and
stronger I feel. The support of the other students and the instructors made FULLPOWER a very safe place for me to learn."
"I like to go hiking by myself, but I worried a lot about someone attacking me. FULLPOWER gave me the chance to practice the skills I need so that I can worry less and enjoy my hikes more."
"I am a therapist who took your four-hour workshop with my 16-year-old daughter after a serial rapist started stalking our neighborhood. We left feeling sure that we had the skills to defuse most situations as well as to fight off an attacker if necessary. I never knew we had so much strength!"
"As a man, I'm sometimes targeted by other men looking for a fight. After taking FULLPOWER, I feel like I have more control in those situations. I can stay calm, and I have the courage to walk away."
WORKPOWER focuses on prevention of assault and sexual harassment in the workplace. Skills taught help with risk management and team building.
"We first worked with your organization after a couple of concerning incidents that left our teachers, aides, and family service workers concerned for their own safety. WORKPOWER helped our staff learn how to protect themselves from possible danger and how to de-escalate confrontations."
Cynthia Yao, Family Services Manager, Institute for Human and Social Development
"After completing the course, I was thrilled with all I learned, but was afraid I might not retain the skills. The theory of 'you do what you practice' is accurate and [in a recent situation] I did exactly what we practiced in class. I was prepared to use the tools necessary to keep myself safe. I think that everyone should participate in this training. It is obvious to me that these situations are a part of the society we live in, and everyone should learn to take action when they happen."
Angela Zavislak, Administrative Services Coordinator, Wesley-Jesse
"I was impressed with the simple, yet concise format and easy style of your presentation. The workshop was a great success."
Cynthia Owyang, Human Resources, U.S. Robotics, Inc.
"The students were extremely enthusiastic in talking about what they had learned with their fellow employees, and, without exception, felt that they had benefited enormously by the experience of having this training together."
Arthur L. Goldberg, Controller & Chief Financial Officer, ELEK-TEK, Inc.
"The participants couldn't have been more pleased with your program in its entirety."
Jackie Schanlaber, Fitness Specialist, Kraft General Foods, Inc.
Personal Safety Workshops for Young Adults and College Students
Young adults deserve tools to stay safe while enjoying their independence. Their parents will appreciate having more peace of mind.
Young adults living independently for the first time have new freedom and new responsibilities, often in the context of a new community. A few simple skills can make this time a safer more successful experience.
In our FULLPOWER or COLLEGEPOWER workshops, young adults have the chance to practice skills that can help prevent, avoid, or de-escalate problems with friends, partners, and housemates as well as with strangers.
Participants practice how to:
- Project an attitude of awareness and confidence.
- Be aware of the behavior of others on public transit, at parties, and on the street in order to take charge and prevent potential problems from escalating.
- Control space and distance between themselves and others.
- Deal safely with verbal attack.
- Create safety plans that allow for independence while making it easier to get help in an emergency.
- Set boundaries with people they know around common issues such as sharing living space, lending money, and communicating in a romantic relationship.
Our COLLEGEPOWER programs for college students give participants the opportunity to practice all of the skills listed above as well as skills for:
- Setting boundaries with others in a group living situation.
- Managing conflict and misunderstandings that grow from cultural differences.
- Managing peer pressure.
- Skills for getting help.
COLLEGEPOWER workshops can be incorporated into college orientation programs in order to promote the safety and well-being of new students.
Learn more about arranging or participating in our public workshops in California.
For services in other areas, click here.
"Our daughter took a class right before she went away to college. She tells us about lots of situations where she uses the skills she learned. She feels more confident and we have less worries about her being so far from home."
