We are all mechanics

We Are All Mechanics is an organization in Madison, WI that for over ten years has been teaching women-focused classes in bicycle maintenance. They believe that women can learn the technical skills required to maintain and repair a bicycle, despite the fact that such work is traditionally the province of men. If you’re going to own and ride a bicycle, knowing how to change tires and adjust gears and grease bearings is a good idea[1].

IMPACT Chicago feels the same way about the body that you walk around with every day. For women, simply walking around in the world involves a degree of unavoidable risk; just as it’s not possible to ride a bicycle without risking the occasional flat tire. While self-defense skills are traditionally thought of as men’s skills, women can learn those skills just as they can learn to change a bicycle tire. Graduates of our Core class report that IMPACT’s state-dependent learning approach to self-defense training makes the skills something that they remember when they need them, regardless of when they took the class – Just like riding a bicycle.

Mark Nessel, IMPACT Chicago Suited Instructor


[1] Learn more about We Are All Mechanics at www.weareallmechanics.com