Workshops that Empower & Educate

Customize Your Own Experience of Empowerment

We believe every body should feel safe & respected

Women participating in a fitness class practicing punching exercises in a gym.

FAQs

  • ESD teaches practical safety skills, boundary-setting, and confidence-building through five core principles: think, yell, run, fight, and tell.

    It’s about prevention, awareness, and standing strong — physically and emotionally.

  • We work with schools (Grades 4–12), universities, non-profits, and businesses. Workshops are tailored to each audience — from youth and staff to women’s groups and corporate teams.

  • Each session blends 3 components: mindset and awareness training, verbal strategies, and physical techniques.

    We address common threats and conflict scenarios, utilizing a range of tools, including boundary setting, to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-based techniques.

  • Workshops range from 60–90 minutes for single sessions, or can be offered as half-day/full-day events or multi-session series.

    We’ll work with you to find a format that fits your schedule and goals.

    Recommended training is 4-16 hours for building reflexes and muscle memory.

  • All workshops are led by certified Arise Self-Defense instructors with backgrounds in education, trauma-informed practice, and martial arts. Jess Gordon, the founder of Arise, personally trains all facilitators.

  • Yes. Our workshops are designed to be inclusive and affirming for people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, races, body types, abilities, and ages. We use a trauma-informed, student-centered approach and tailor each session to meet the needs of the group.

    Everyone deserves to feel strong, safe, and respected — and that’s at the heart of everything we do.

Schools & Colleges

K-12 Schools

Bring empowerment self-defense to your classroom. Sessions align with BC curriculum goals and support social-emotional learning through experiential and active learning approaches. Students build confidence, communication skills, and body awareness in a fun, inclusive and age-appropriate environment.

Colleges & Universities

Bring Empowerment Self-Defense to Your Campus. Our workshops support students, staff, and campus communities in building confidence, setting healthy boundaries, and staying safe.

We address common safety concerns — including sexual violence, harassment, and consent — through an inclusive, trauma-informed approach.

Staff & Pro-d

Professional Development For Staff. We offer Pro-D workshops, facilitator training, and ready-to-use resources to help educators confidently integrate safety, boundaries, and confidence-building into the classroom.

Why We Fight (and Hug and Laugh, too)

We believe self-defense starts before anything physical happens. It’s in your voice, your boundaries, your breath. And it’s way more fun with community by your side.

Community & Non-Profit

Empower the people you live with, work with, and serve through practical tools for safety, confidence, and connection. Whether you're supporting youth, women, or marginalized communities, we tailor each session to meet your group’s needs with care and respect.

Workshop options include:

  • Birthday parties with a purpose

  • Team-building for youth sports teams

  • Empowerment workshops for Girl Guides or Scouts

  • Youth leadership or wellness groups

  • Neighborhood houses, shelters, or drop-in centers

Corporate & Teams

Invest in your team’s wellbeing and safety with workshops that go beyond the basics.

Perfect for safety training, team-building, professional development, lunch & learns, conferences, or leadership retreats, our sessions support personal safety, assertive communication, and team trust — in and outside the workplace.

Join the Arise Self-Defense Club Facebook Community

A group of women sitting on the floor in a dance studio, listening to an instructor standing and speaking, with large windows showing trees and a building outside.
Group of women standing and sitting in a dance studio with a large mirror, black floor, and white walls. Two women are standing in the center, one with a pink shirt and one with a lavender shirt, barefoot. Several women are sitting against the wall,
Group of women in fitness attire posing together inside a gym, making hand gestures, with a black wall and staircase visible in the background.
Group of nine women posing and making various fun expressions in front of a wall with a logo.
Two women stand facing each other with palms touching, practicing a high-five or hand touch, indoors in a room with windows. One woman wears a white t-shirt and black pants, and the other wears a maroon shirt and black pants.
Group of women participating in a dance or exercise class in a spacious room with fluorescent ceiling lights and windows with vertical blinds.
Two women engaged in a playful stretching or dance activity in a community room, with others watching in the background.
Two women engaged in a playful wrestling match indoors, with several other women watching and smiling in the background.
A group of women engaging in a game of tug-of-war indoors, with some smiling and others focused, in a spacious, well-lit room with light-colored walls and ceiling tiles.
Group of 15 women posing for a photo in an indoor setting, some kneeling in front and others standing behind, with a white projector screen and a whiteboard decorated with string lights in the background.