about arise
We believe everyone deserves to feel safe, confident, and empowered in their lives.
✽ the vision
Our vision is to cultivate empowered communities, where individuals possess the skills and mindset to prevent violence, foster healthy relationships, and feel safe and confident in who they are.
✽ the mission
To offer comprehensive empowerment self-defense education in communities, schools, and workplaces across Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, and beyond.
✽ the why
So that all people may live in a world free from violence, bullying, and intimidation. Where physical connection and social-emotional competence leads to meaningful relationships, powerful communication, and deep inner confidence for everyone.
A Note from Jess
Hi, I’m Jess — the founder of Arise.
For most of my life, I struggled with confidence. I didn’t feel strong in my body or sure of my voice. That started to change when I discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Empowerment Self-Defense. What began as a personal journey became something much bigger: a way to help others feel what I now feel — capable, confident, and connected.
I created Arise to offer something I wish I’d had growing up: a space to learn practical safety skills while also building self-worth, boundaries, and belonging. Whether I’m teaching kids, teens, adults, teams, or educators, my goal is always the same — to help people feel strong and safe in who they are.
Arise isn’t just about self-defense. It’s about reclaiming power, trusting your gut, using your voice, and finding community along the way. I’m so glad you’re here.
— Jess
More than self-defense:
Tools for life
Self-defense isn’t just about what to do if something turns physical. It’s about recognizing early warning signs, setting clear boundaries, and staying steady in tense moments.
Our goal isn’t to make you “tough.” It’s to help you feel capable. Arise combines awareness, verbal strategies, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-based skills with nervous system regulation tools, all taught in a supportive, trauma-informed space where choice and consent come first, so you leave with options you can actually use.
Listen up.
Listen in on a conversation Jess had with Adanma Nwokoma on the ESD Professional Podcast. She talks about how Arise started and what fuels her vision for this work.
FAQs
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Arise was created by Jess Gordon, a certified teacher, empowerment self-defense instructor, and lifelong learner with a passion for helping people feel strong, safe, and confident.
As a female-owned and designed program, Arise is grounded in lived experience and built for those most impacted by gender-based violence.
Our programs center inclusion, empathy, self-awareness, and community — not fear or aggression.
We believe self-defense is more than just physical tecnques — it’s about voice, choice, and reclaiming space.
Every class is trauma-informed, movement-based, and rooted in the belief that everyone deserves to feel safe in their own body.
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We work with children, youth, adults, families, schools, community groups, and businesses — anyone who wants to build confidence, set boundaries, and feel safer in their everyday life.
Whether you're looking to empower students, support your team, or learn self-defense for yourself, Arise strives to offer programs for people of all ages, identities and abilities.
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Our teaching is rooted in experiential, active, and cooperative learning. That means participants learn by doing — through movement, roleplay, discussion, and hands-on practice. Whether it’s a boundary-setting exercise or a self-defense drill, our sessions are engaging, participatory, and grounded in common scenarios.
This approach builds not only skills but confidence, self-trust, and connection. It’s interactive, practical, and effective — especially for those who benefit from a variety of learning styles.
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We go beyond just physical techniques. Arise combines self-defense with mindset, voice, awareness, and emotional regulation — because safety starts before anything physical happens.
Our classes are inclusive and trauma-informed, designed to meet people where they’re at. We prioritize connection and community, creating spaces where participants feel seen, supported, and never alone.
More than just a good workout or a fun experience, Arise offers practical tools that build confidence, resilience, and a sense of ownership over one’s body and choices.
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The reality is, violence — especially gender-based violence — is still far too common. Many people don’t get the chance to learn how to recognize unsafe situations, set boundaries, or respond effectively until after something has happened. We believe everyone deserves access to those tools beforehand.
That’s why Arise focuses on prevention, empowerment, and having options.
This work isn’t just about individual protection — it’s about building safer communities, supporting mental health, and helping people trust themselves and each other.
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Social-emotional learning is woven into everything we do. Alongside physical techniques, participants build core SEL skills like self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and assertive communication.
These skills help people navigate relationships, manage stress, and make safer choices — not just in conflict, but in everyday life. SEL makes our self-defense programs more holistic, empowering, and lasting.
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We believe that physical literacy — the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities — is essential to empowerment. When people understand how their body moves, learns, and communicates, they develop bodily autonomy, which builds self-confidence and self-trust.
Our self-defense approach is grounded in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a martial art that emphasizes control, leverage, and timing over aggression or strength. It’s especially effective for smaller individuals, reinforcing the idea that “you are the boss of your own body.”
No previous martial arts experience is required.
Please note: We do not condone violence or aggression. We emphasize de-escalation strategies and escapes over engaging in fighting, but provide options for a range of threat scenarios.
Classes do not involve sparring, but we do use partner work to practice skills safely and with resistance.
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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States, outlines 17 goals to promote peace, equality, and well-being around the world. Arise programs contribute to several of these global goals through our empowerment-based approach to education, safety, and mental health.
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Children and youth today face increasing mental health challenges. Our programs help by combining movement and martial arts with social-emotional learning (SEL). These activities reduce stress, boost feel-good hormones, and teach kids that they are “the boss of their own body.”
Goal 4: Quality Education
We believe healthy schools create thriving students. Our workshops reinforce respectful boundaries, positive communication, and emotional regulation. By teaching core SEL skills — like self-awareness, empathy, and responsible decision-making — we help students build resilience and strengthen school culture.
Goal 5: Gender Equality
When girls and gender-diverse youth feel safe and equipped to handle conflict, their confidence grows — and so does their ability to fully participate in the world. Our programs support all female-identifying participants while also offering co-ed sessions where boys learn how to use their voice, body, and actions to show respect — a crucial step in preventing gender-based violence.
Learn more about the SDGs: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
