Own Your Space – Self Defense for Women and Gender Diverse Participants
Presented by: Warrior Recreation, SydFIT and Democracy in Action
3 sessions (90 minutes each):
- Saturday, September 19th – 11:00am-12:30pm
- Saturday, September 26th – 11:00am-12:30pm
- Saturday, October 3rd – 11:00am-12:30pm
Register here!
Cost: $45 + HST
Instructor: Kelly Mayell
A High School Special Education Teacher and BMS (Behavior Management Systems) certified professional, she brings a trauma-informed, high-energy approach to empowering women and gender-diverse individuals with real-world self-defense skills. Her extensive combat background includes a black belt in Japanese Jujitsu, Fast Defense training, and four years of Boxing and Muay Thai experience, highlighted by an intensive training camp in Thailand in 2018. As a certified Pole Fitness Instructor, she uses movement to help women build physical confidence, bodily autonomy, and core strength. By combining this empowering fitness philosophy with de-escalation expertise, she teaches women how to set strong boundaries, trust their instincts, and execute simple, highly effective defensive tactics.
Take control of your personal safety in a supportive, high-energy environment. This workshop is designed to move beyond theory and into practical, muscle-memory techniques that work regardless of your size or strength.
Whether you are a complete beginner or looking to refresh your skills, this session focuses on the reality of physical encounters and provides you with the tools to stay safe.
What You Will Learn
We cover a spectrum of scenarios, ranging from "nuisance" grabs to high-intensity threats:
- The Great Escape: Learn the leverage-based mechanics to instantly break free from common holds, including wrist grabs and hair grabs.
- Neutralizing Aggression: An introduction to proven techniques to defend against and escape dangerous chokeholds, whether standing or pinned.
- Effective Striking: Learn how to use your "natural weapons" such as palms, elbows, and knees to deliver powerful strikes to vulnerable targets.
- Ground Defense: If a confrontation goes to the ground, you need to know how to get back up. You’ll see how to protect yourself and create space while on the floor.
The Strategy of Safety
Physical skill is only half the battle. We will have an essential discussion on The Spectrum of Force.
You’ll learn how to assess a threat and apply the appropriate level of force for the situation, balancing the need to protect yourself with the legal and ethical considerations of self-defense.
"Self-defense is not just about fighting; it’s about the confidence of knowing you have a plan."
Session Breakdown
Session 1: Awareness, Boundaries and Foundations
Participants will learn how to recognize potentially unsafe situations early, establish personal boundaries, and use their voice, body language, and positioning with confidence. Kelly will also introduce basic movement, balance, and simple responses to common situations.
Session 2: Creating Space and Getting Away
The second session reviews foundational skills and introduces practical ways to respond to common grabs and close-range situations. The focus is on using positioning, movement, and leverage rather than strength, creating space, and safely disengaging.
Session 3: Applying the Skills with Confidence
The final session brings the skills together through controlled, realistic scenarios. Participants will practice recognizing a situation, responding verbally and physically, creating an opportunity to get away, and making decisions under pressure. The session also includes a review and an opportunity for questions.
The overall emphasis is prevention, confidence, escape, and getting to safety. It is not about teaching students to stand and fight.
- No previous boxing, martial arts, or self-defense experience is required.
- The sessions are designed to be practical and accessible to different fitness and experience
