Defend Yourself

This is what empowerment looks like. 💪 At Defend Yourself, we equip people with the skills to set boundaries, speak up, and take action— whether for themselves or others. Nasreen’s story is a powerful testament to self-defense, assertiveness training, and bystander intervention. Now, with confidence, she is ready to engage and take action. Do you want to build confidence and learn real-world skills? Join us for our next workshop: 🛑 Be the Change: Active Bystander Skills for Stopping Hate 📅 Saturday, March 22 | ⏰ 1-4 PM ET | 💻 Via Zoom 📍Spots are limited! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/g726_Ega.

Here’s your chance to Be the Change. ✊🏾 Join us Saturday, March 22, from 1-4 PM ET on Zoom for a virtual, interactive, active bystander skills workshop, designed to help you interrupt hate in real time. We know it’s not always easy to act when you witness or experience harassment, threats, or discrimination. But with the right skills, it can be easier to navigate these moments with confidence. In this 3-hour training, you’ll learn: ✅ When to act: How to recognize when intervention is needed (and when it’s not). ✅ How to assess for safety: Know what to consider before stepping in. ✅ De-escalation techniques: Tools to safely bring the temperature down in heated situations. ✅ The 5 steps of bystander intervention: A clear framework to guide your response. ✅ Intervention options: Five effective ways to get someone out of harm’s way. ✅ Real-world practice: Gain hands-on experience applying these skills! This workshop is open to everyone ages 14 and up. The cost is $78 per person, but if the full fee is a barrier for you, please reach out—we’re happy to help. If you're able to contribute more, your support allows us to offer access to those with limited funds. 🔗 Spots are limited! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/g726_Ega

Let’s talk about relationships. Too often, unhealthy dynamics slip by either unnoticed, excused, or even accepted as normal. We’re taught to overlook red flags, to compromise our boundaries, and to put someone else’s comfort before our own safety. But love should never come at the cost of respect, trust, or security. So, let’s check-in: ✅ Relationship green flags: You feel heard, respected, and safe to be yourself. Your boundaries are honored, not tested. Communication is open and honest. 🚩 Relationship red flags: Control is disguised as concern and manipulation is masked as love. You might feel pressure to ignore your instincts, and your privacy or boundaries are disrespected. Love should never hurt — emotionally or physically. And now’s the time to name what’s healthy, call out what’s not, and rethink what empowerment looks like in your relationships. ⬇️ What’s a green flag you look for? Let us know in the comments. To check on the health of your relationship, or get help if it's not healthy, go to www.loveisrespect.org.  #LoveIsRespect #TDVAM2025 #RespectThat #TDVAM25

If you’re feeling disappointed, numb, or infuriated about Trump taking over The Kennedy Center, you’re not alone. Our director, Lauren Taylor, spoke with WUSA9 about why this moment matters and how we can continue to champion inclusive, innovative, and diverse cultural spaces in D.C. The Kennedy Center has long been a hub for accessible art that reflects the vibrancy of our city — let’s make sure it stays that way. 🌈 Meanwhile, let’s lift up the cultural spaces that continue to do this work. What local organizations are you excited about right now? Drop them in the comments — we’d love hear from you! Read the full article here: https://shorturl.at/WCtAq

February is a busy month at Defend Yourself with two upcoming events! ➡️ Our upcoming 3-hour, trauma-informed RESIST: Safety + self-defense skills for perilous times workshop on Saturday, February 22, is full. Sign up for our waiting list and you'll be the first to hear when registration for the next workshop opens! https://lnkd.in/gXC4dv3V   📖 For our community far and wide, connect from anywhere at our monthly Get Empowered Book Circle! On Sunday, February 23, join us via Zoom at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT for an engaging space of reflection, connection, and learning — beyond just reading the book. It’s free, and you can help choose this month’s topic here: https://lnkd.in/gdVeSzCE

Happy Black History Month to our communities. ✊🏾✊🏿✊🏽 In a world that so often tries to erase, oppress, and silence Black voices, Black history will always stand as a testament to generations of resistance, resilience, and the unwavering fight for safety and justice. This month, we hope you find space to reflect, organize, rest, and be in community with those who uplift you. We are committed to equipping individuals with the skills and confidence to set boundaries, speak up, and protect themselves from harm — because everyone deserves to live free from violence. However you choose to honor this time, know this: Your safety is non-negotiable. Your voice is powerful. Your existence is revolutionary — today and always.

Hi, community. This is a much need temp check. How are you doing?  We’re all feeling it — the unease, the anxiety, the fear, the rage, the discomfort. It’s real and it’s valid. At our last Book Circle, we explored these feelings and ways to care for ourselves while navigating this season of escalating hate and uncertainty. So we’re asking you, as we asked ourselves: How are you tending to yourself right now? What does care look like for you in this moment? And beyond that, is there something small (or big) you can do to make positive change within your ecosystem? What action calls to you? We know these are big questions, and the answers may not come easily. But reflecting, sharing, and showing up for ourselves and our communities is a powerful place to start. ⬇️ Feel free to share in the comments, or join us in our next Book Circle or February workshop to build connection and continue the conversation.  🔗 More info here on the Book Circle: https://lnkd.in/gdVeSzCE 🔗 And here to reserve your spot on our February workshop:

Update! We have just 5 spots left for this in person event as of this afternoon! Please visit https://lnkd.in/g726_Ega for the most recent availability. We can't wait to see you all there!

Meet Cherie (she/her), one of our incredible Defend Yourself trainers! Cherie is a martial artist and empowerment self-defense trainer from Washington, D.C. She started her training in 1996, began teaching in 1998, and has been part of the Defend Yourself team since 2015 (😮 ten years!). What started as a way to enhance her physical safety became something so much bigger: a path to confidence, inner peace, and empowerment Now, Cherie is passionate about sharing those lessons with others, especially women and girls, helping them tap into their own strength and power. We’re so lucky to have Cherie on our team! 💡Want to train with Cherie? Reach out to us at classes@defendyourself.org!

With another TrUGHmp administration here, you’re not alone if you find yourself feeling anxious and unsafe. Whether you’re worried about gender-based violence, racism, or any other kind of hate being on the rise, you don’t deserve to live in fear.  Join us at RESIST, a 3-hour, trauma-informed workshop designed to help you feel safer and stronger in your daily life — no matter who’s in office. You'll learn:  ➡️ the 5 basic elements of boundary-setting ➡️ how to bring the temperature down when someone is escalated ➡️ simple physical strikes for a worst-case situation ➡️ and more! RESIST is open to all women, trans men, and nonbinary people, ages 16 and up. It's 3 hours long and filled with interactive learning and practical tools to apply to your everyday life. The fee is $78; if you can’t afford the full fee, please contact us. And if you’re able to contribute more, please do! You’ll help us make this training accessible to others. Everyone can do this! You don’t have to be able-bodied or an athlete to learn these skills!  📆 Saturday, Feb 22 | 12:30-3:30 PM ET 🎟️$78 per person; Please contact us if you can't afford the full fee. 📍Seekers Church | Takoma Spots are limited, so register now to save your spot! https://lnkd.in/ga27TQ9A