I’ve been teaching self defense and karate for four years. My specialty is self-defense from the ground. Helping people to feel stronger is such a reward. I feel empowered by teaching adults to protect themselves. I’ve also taken many self-defense classes such as street harassment, gun and knife self-defense, and IMPACT. Learning self-defense has taught me to be more confident and not see myself as a victim anymore from previous assaults. I want to teach people to feel the same way. (Teaches through a partnership with DC Self Defense Karate Association.)

I began studying martial arts informally with my father at a young age. I began formally in 1996 with tae kwon do. Initially the traditions and the philosophies of the martial arts are what attracted me, but as I began studying in a school that stressed self-defense, that aspect of tae kwon do became very important to me as well. I have been teaching self-defense in the Washington surrounding area for about 10 years, mostly to women, young people and the LGBTQ community. I have gained a lot by sharing what I have learned over the years with these communities. I look forward to many more years of teaching and empowering people by showing them their inherent power. (Teaches through a partnership with DC Self Defense Karate Association.)

I began training in tae kwon do in 1995 in a school that also taught self-defense. I fell in love with the art but more importantly I loved the self-defense. I began assisting, then teaching, self defense in 1996, and the feeling I get by empowering others cannot be explained with mere words. I specialize in teaching children (especially boys) ages 3 to16 and women. As a survivor of spousal abuse (there was an attempt on my life), I am both honored and humbled to reach out to other women who have also endured this abuse and survived. To share my testimony and then show them how to defend themselves confirms to me my purpose in life.

I came to self-defense as a student after having used verbal and physical boundary setting skills to deal with situations in my life. I wanted to continue to grow, expand my repertoire and become stronger in every way. As a teacher now, I continue to learn and grow through every interaction with my students. We are all so strong and creative just as we are! Self-defense helps us hone and develop our skills to an even higher level. When I’m not teaching with Defend Yourself, I am a personal trainer and experiential educator specializing in team-building and outdoor adventure.

I’ve been teaching self-defense since 1995. My own training, which began in 1993, includes tae kwon do, full-contact self-defense, conflict-resolution, and tai chi. Thus my teaching is a blend of hard-style, soft-style, and emotion regulation techniques.  I especially enjoy working with young people in urban environments. I believe that personal safety and nonviolent living are basic human rights that, once attained, free us to reach our true God-given potential.

I studied self-defense with Wendo in Argentina and then with Defend Yourself starting in 2005. I’ve also studied martial arts and received self-defense instructor training with the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation. I especially enjoy supporting women and girls in finding their voices and becoming more assertive. At my day job I organize tenants and work to preserve affordable housing with a Latino non-profit organization. I also do activist work with the Down There Health Collective, facilitating workshops on reclaiming health and creating healthy communication around consent and sex. A common thread in these activities is a desire to support people in developing tools to take control of their lives, fight back against oppression and create spaces based on consent and cooperation.