We Call It Self-Defense

We call it "self-defense" because an empowering experience where you find your voice, increase your awareness, discover the power of your body, and build a strong community of women is too many words.

Nine years ago, Cathy Bazzon, IMPACT grad, wrote about the power of an IMPACT Chicago workshop at a community center. Grant funding like what we have received from the Latin School Student Philanthropic Initiative for 2020-2021 helps us bring self-defense to everyone. Excerpts from Cathy's original post "Why We Call It Self-Defense" are below. 

It was a wish to reach women of diverse backgrounds that prompted Martha Thompson, IMPACT Chicago instructor and IMPACT Director at the time, to start applying for grants. “While IMPACT is primarily a volunteer-led organization, our operating costs are substantial,” she explains.  “Because of the full contact during workshops, we have to have insurance that would pretty much cover a football team.  Then we have to run a not-for-profit, pay our instructors, maintain our equipment, do ongoing professional development—it adds up really quickly.”  “Depending on the course, fees can reach several hundred dollars,” notes Thompson, “and a lot of women simply don’t have that kind of money.”

Upon analyzing participant demographics, Thompson realized that the organization was serving mostly white women, ages 25 to 40, with middle incomes or higher.  “And that meant we were not meeting our mission,” she says.  “If we want to reach women, we have to go where women are,” she says.  “Not only do we want to train a variety of women, but we want to work with a bigger vision of anti-violence work.”Expanding that vision means building relationships with other organizations already committed to empowering women. 

What Is Self-Defense in a Racist World?

In "Self-Defense in a Racist World," IMPACT Bay Area Executive Director Linda Leu addresses how without a commitment to anti-racism, defenders can twist self-defense tools into weapons that support white supremacy. She focuses on strategies to keep ourselves safer and to challenge racism. For important details, please read her full blog post. Here are some topics:

• Distinguish intuition and implicit bias
• Learn adrenaline management
• Practice awareness and threat assessment
• Commit to unlearning implicit bias

Thank you, Linda!

Talking IMPACT with Grad Elizabeth

Blog contributor Maple Joy interviewed IMPACT Grad Elizabeth* about her IMPACT Core Program experience.

When and what IMPACT course did you take? December 2018 - Core Program

Why did you want to take IMPACT? - I work in an environment that involves talking to

strangers all day, which is something I usually really enjoy – however, last year I had a situation with one of these strangers in which nothing identifiable necessarily "happened", but the things that did occur all made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe and in danger - then later unhappy with how I'd handled myself. I went home and signed up for the next IMPACT core class that night. I'm so glad that I did - I was mostly looking for practical skills, not a transformative experience; somehow, I got both.

How did you feel prior to, during and after taking the course? I'm not a particularly sporty person and had never taken a self-defense class before, so I really had no idea of what to expect beyond what I'd learned about IMPACT when I signed up. The three-day time commitment was a little intimidating but made perfect sense once the class began - even that Friday night after the first class, I took my dog outside for their nightly walk and already felt different, more present, less afraid, more aware of my own power. Since completing the course, I luckily haven't had a need to test the more physical skills, however, I do feel different as I move through space, just walking down the street, establishing my boundaries, with the knowledge that if this is the day someone grabs me from behind (or tens of other scenarios) I have everything I need to survive.

Would you encourage other women to take an IMPACT course? If so, what would you say? I want every woman to have the opportunity to take this course - really every person. I wish that this had been a part of my public education, that I had taken it at 12 and 16 and 21 etc. - some of the most powerful parts of the class are just fundamental skills, establishing your own boundaries, enforcing those boundaries, finding your voice, taking up space in the world. To be in a space with badass women (and allied men who've let you kick them in the (padded) groin all day), all of whom want you to feel safe and confident and strong in your daily life - such a good feeling!

 Are there ways in which you’ve helped spread the word about IMPACT or ways others can help? Volunteer! Take a course! Host a class! Encourage someone else to take a course!

*Name may have been changed.

#IMPACTChicago #IMPACTChicagoCoreProgram #SelfDefense #Boundaries #FindingYourVoice #Volunteer #WomanEmpowerment

Women Can Defend Themselves: I'm Tired of People Lying That They Can't

Our society raises all non-male genders to fear men. We are told that they are too strong for us to fight. When I was growing up, the wise advice we got from the police was, “Don’t resist and you will be okay.” Even at 10 years old I knew that was bullshit.

I used to watch Law and Order: CSI (I stopped watching several years ago for this very reason). One of the main characters, Detective Benson, was a woman who was very good at her job. One day she was assaulted and raped. We had spent many, many years watching this character defend and stand up for herself and be very confident and powerful. She had shot and even killed people in the line of duty. She regularly went into dangerous situations with her colleagues. But when the violence was rape, she was not able to defend herself. REALLY!?!?!? So she can defend the lives of other people, no problem, but when it’s interpersonal violence against herself, she can’t do it???

This is the message we get over and over again…  It’s a lie, and I’m tired of hearing it.

We are all capable of defending ourselves. We were designed to survive and have MANY mechanisms designed to keep us alive. We were born with the will to survive. All we do at IMPACT and other ESD courses is REMIND you of the skills with which you were born and give you the opportunity to practice them. 

Lisa Gaeta

IMPACT Personal Safety

Founder and CEO