Self-Defense

Impact Bay Area

Impact Bay Area is a non-profit that trains students to set and hold boundaries with verbal and physical self-defense skills. I am a longtime volunteer instructor and recent board member.

As a volunteer with IMPACT Bay Area, I witness people of all ages step into their power, own their space, set boundaries and heal from past experiences, all while a whole class cheers them on.  My favorite stories about IMPACT come from graduates who share that while using skills in the real world they could hear their classmates cheering for them.  To me, IMPACT is about that support system.  We aren’t alone. Each of us is worth fighting for. 

I took my first IMPACT class looking for physical self-defense skills, but it was the verbal skills that had the biggest impact on my daily life.  We learned about setting boundaries and practiced doing so in different scenarios, and it helped me improve even very close relationships.  I find that I am more friendly to strangers that I pass, because I am confident and comfortable in my ability to handle whatever situations life throws my way. 

I’m a big fan of our teen classes, where young women find their voices and learn to set strong boundaries in a healthy way.  I feel like a lot of media influence offers few options when it comes to girls setting boundaries.  You can either be deferential and pushed around or sassy and eye-rolling. By the time girls finish our teens course, they learn that they can set boundaries firmly and don’t need to lean on any tropes to create the space that they deserve. 

Please check out our class roster and sign up for yourself or your child. Reach out if you’re interested in corporate trainings at your place of work.