“A Defend Yourself workshop changed my life. After being harassed for 12 years, I learned from Lauren that I had many options, and she created a safe space for me to try out responses. Since then I’ve sometimes told harassers to stop bothering me and it has silenced them. I feel better able to deal with harassers thanks to Defend Yourself!” Holly Kearl, Founder of Stop Street Harassment
“I feel so much stronger and more confident. Now I feel good about saying ‘no’to something I don’t want, where I used to feel bad about it. This is a big change!”
“This class not only showed me how to defend my body, but it taught me how to express myself as well. It nurtured my soul and showed me that to be a woman does not mean that I am physically helpless.”
“What an empowering, enlightening class! You gave me a wonderfully empowering gift — the ability to speak! You helped take away some of the fear that I had by having me realize that I have some power within.”
“This class showed me that . . . I have every right to defend myself and take care of myself the best way I know how. My first responsibility is to myself.”
“Everybody needs this!”
“I feel more confident, yet not complacent. I’m learning to incorporate ‘no’into my everyday life.”
“Thank you for a wonderful class. I will spread the word around my high school and to every interested girl/woman I know!”
“Thank you for such an empowering, confidence-inspiring class. When you first announced that the class would teach both verbal and physical defense, I was a bit hesitant — I presumed I already knew how to verbally defend myself, and thought I was ready to get down to more “hard core” self-defense moves.”
“To my surprise, I found the verbal parts of the class the most beneficial. Instead of just preparing us for the chance of an all-out attack, we learned skills that have been helping me to navigate more assertively through everyday situations. You helped all of us to view self-defense holistically, and asked us to question our role in making this world less violent.”
“This class has affected my life in many ways. I am now able to deal with many suppressed feelings. This is an opening for me. I finally allow myself to feel anger without blaming myself. I now realize I have the right to happiness and I will fervently fight whoever tries to take this.”
“When I took my [previous self-defense] class, I learned how to fend off physical attacks, but it took me much, much longer to learn how to develop and maintain healthy relationships. I spent too many years in an abusive relationship . . . Now I’m a lot more careful about defending my self–which is why your class was so important to me.”
“This class opened a door for me that I didn’t know existed. I know exactly what I would do if I needed to. It was the first time in my life that I felt that. Even if something happened, I would still feel safe in myself.”
“This class exceeded my expectations! I looked forward to class and the chance to practice my skills. I enjoyed the supportive environment and the space to develop strategies for confronting harassment.”
“This class has given me a powerful toolkit and the confidence to yell ‘NO’ and know I have every right to say it. It’s helped me rethink my personal boundaries and feel good about maintaining them.”
“I wish other women/girls could experience THIS feeling of girrrrlpower, instead of listening to Cosmo and Glamour to tell them where their power lies.”
“I feel more confident and like I can get through anything.”
“Lauren is very encouraging and patient. An excellent teacher, she makes everyone feel comfortable.”
“The teachers are nonjudgmental: They are not going to tell you that what you are doing is wrong.”
“This class was a springboard. Now I know where I need to go in the rest of my life.”
“Bothering leads to dangerous things and situations if we aren’t careful. We want to try to stop the situation before it gets really dangerous! There are bullies that can start at just being annoying by talking and saying those mean things but it can turn into something very dangerous if you are not careful. So the key is to be very smart and think before you act.– from the book by our students at Jump Start Girls/Adelante Nias
