Defend Yourself has classes for everyone, no matter what your age or ability. Whether you’re dealing with street harassment, going off to college, healing from abuse, or any other challenge, we offer skills you can use.

Here are some of our offerings:

  • Empowerment Self-Defense Basics: Skills for stopping harassment, abuse, and assault for people age 16+ (3 hours)
  • Be the Change: Active Bystander Skills for Stopping Hate: Skills for standing up for others when they’re targeted for harassment and other violence (3 hours)
  • Get Empowered! A Self-Defense Happy Hour: A quick intro to standing up for yourself (1.5 hours)
  • Breakthrough!: Two hours of empowering fun, ending with YOU breaking a board! (Yes, you can do it!)
  • Safe on the Streets: Skills for dealing with harassment in public spaces
  • Girl Scouts: Fun and skill-building (plus petals and badges!) for everyone from Daisies to Seniors
  • Power Parties: Fun and empowerment for the birthday person (13 to adult) and their friends!
  • Get Ready for College: Safety skills for 11th and 12th graders
  • Safer and More Confident: A comprehensive, multi-week class that covers everything from bothersome co-workers and family members to street harassment and defending yourself from the ground
  • On Our Way: Safety skills for high-schoolers
  • Growing Independence: Safety skills for middle-schoolers and parents
  • On My Own: Safety skills to help late elementary and early middle-school kids get to school without an adult, stay home alone, and other steps to greater independence
  • Of Service: Safety skills for workplaces that serve the public. Check out our programs tailored for hospitality workplaces and libraries.
  • WorkSafe: Safety skills for corporate, nonprofit, and government workplaces, including preventing and intervening in sexual harassment
  • Queer Without Fear: Safety skills for LGBTQ+/nonbinary people

We also specialize in teaching people with disabilities and survivors of abuse and assault. All of our classes are held in wheelchair accessible spaces. If there’s something else that would help you be able to participate, please let us know.

Want something you don’t see on this list? No worries — let us know and we’ll plan something just for you!