Virtual Online Classes

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for over a year all our self-defense classes were virtual.  Almost all.

They were offered through Seattle Central College, Bellevue College, North Kirkland Community Center, and directly from us.  But can you really learn self-defense online?

We’ve completed a half-dozen six-week courses and many classes and seminars for kids with parents, teen girls, and women.  And the answer is . . .

Yes.

Some topics had to be put aside.  While we can show physical skills, practicing these via video is nowhere near ideal.  We cannot train them the same way we could in face-to-face classes.  We are hoping to be able, maybe Fall 2021 and Winter 2022, to offer “makeup” classes specifically for those who have taken our online versions.

What does work well are skills that you’d use far more often.  Boundary setting, de-escalation, bystander intervention.  Verbal skills, projection and body language, even distance from others.  Learning to recognize “red flags.”

These are synchronous classes, which means they happen at an appointed time.  The platform is Zoom, which is free for you to use as long as you sign up or download the app.

Two students who completed first six-week course said:

Even though our class was over Zoom, the meetings with Joanne were really informative and important. I now can use my voice and body language to get out of situations I do not want to be in. I am confident because I now have plans, a “blueprint'” which will help me de-escalate potentially violent situations, set boundaries with family, friends and strangers, and help people who are in those situations.
I really enjoyed this class. Thanks to Joanne, I now feel more confident in myself.

And

This course was long-overdue in my life. It was an investment in my mental health, something that goes hand in hand with self-defense but oftentimes gets overlooked. Setting personal boundaries (even with friends) is my new learned strategy to communicate strength and confidence. Knowing that I have the skill to detect red flags is empowering.

Take a look at what we are now offering.  Most classes through June will still be online, those through Seattle Central College will be online for maybe another 3 terms, and beginning in July most of Strategic Living classes will be in person.

• Self-Defense 101 (the six-week course) – those through Seattle Central College and Bellevue College are still virtual.  Others are now in-person.
• Single-session seminars – for in-person for Summer and Fall 2021
• For Teen Girls Only – mostly in-person for July and August, with two virtual options
• NEW:  On-Demand Training (1.5 hours) for Businesses and Corporate Groups

We are also happy to offer custom programs for your school, group, or business.

We are also offering limited live lessons for individuals who have been adhering to COVID practices and are vaccinated.

Contact us for more information.