Empowerment Self-Defense
When most people think of a self-defense class, they imagine a room full of timid women led by a clean-shaven, muscular law-enforcement professional or martial arts guru, learning 100 self-limiting rules for safe living and a few solid groin strikes.
Yeah, we’ve been to those classes, too, and even learned a few cool things. But that’s not what we do.
Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) is a practical, evidence-based, trauma-informed curriculum created and led by women—many of whom were their cities’ first rape crisis and shelter workers—that has been taught across the country and globe for nearly 50 years. It’s the best-kept secret in personal safety—and embodied therapeutic programming for trauma survivors of all ages and types. It’s also just a lot of fun.
Our programs are guided by the “5 Fingers” of ESD (shown at right) and talk about self-defense in ways you might have never heard or thought of before: That self-defense begins with how we think and feel about ourselves. It never looks like a beautifully choreographed fight scene. It’s in all the little things we do every day to carve out space for ourselves in the world. It’s a toolkit that’s already inside each one of us and is unique to our own lives.
Come learn how powerful you really are. You are worth fighting for!
ESD Workshops
All classes listed can be taught at our Center in Covington or on-site for your school, office, organization, or group. Length of time and number of sessions can be tailored to meet your needs. Contact us for details. Due to class-size limitations, we can not offer refunds for workshops and events. Pre-registration may be applied to a future event if you notify us of your cancellation within 48 hours of the start of the event.
Empowerment through Self-Defense
These fierce ladies built safety skills and broke down personal barriers during our 5-week Empowerment through Self-Defense seminar at the Florence branch of the Boone County Library.
Our foundational course provides a toolbox of immediate mental, verbal, and physical responses to risky situations, from boundary violations and harassment to physical assault. In each seminar, we practice all 5 safety principles of ESD—Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell—through discussion, role play, and hands-on technique practice.
*Taught as both a 3-hour Basics workshop and a 5-Week Intensive series.
Stronger Together
Make safety, strength, and empowerment a family affair in this parent-child workshop. In this course, we not only practice mental, verbal, and physical techniques but also work to foster open and honest communication. This class is ideal for kids ages 9+ and their parent or guardian.
On Our Own
This workshop prepares tweens and young teens to move safely, confidently, and with awareness through this time of increased independence. We’ll discuss safety in the context of dating (both in groups and one-on-one), online communication, first jobs, and more.
In an EmPOWER Kids class, Lindsey teaches a Cincinnati Public School student a protective hold that will allow her to safely escape a bigger person.
Campus Ready
Designed for young adults preparing to head off to college or already in college, this seminar presents the most common safety scenarios students encounter while living, studying, and working independently and gives them tools and strategies for successful navigation. Both female-only and co-ed seminars are available.
Hear My Voice
One of the most powerful self-defense tools we have is our voice, yet it’s also the one many women find most difficult to use. In this 2-hour seminar, we discuss and practice setting boundaries, granting and withholding consent, navigating uncomfortable conversations, deescalating tense encounters, and more.
EmPOWER Kids
Elementary-age kids learn the 5 safety principles through games designed to prepare them for scenarios they may encounter at school, in their neighborhoods, and even at home.
Industry- or Group-Specific Trainings
Safety can mean different things to different communities, and some groups have context-specific safety concerns. We love to design tailored ESD programs and have done so for varied organizations, including the Down Sydrome Association of Greater Cincinnati, local Realtors, women in construction and the trades, and child protective services workers.
Advanced Self-Defense
We use pool noodles to work on maintaining “strong eyes,” overcoming the flinch response, and preparing our bodies to change range during a physical confrontation.
This weekly group is for anyone who’s already taken an ESD Basics workshop or 5-Week ESD Series and wants to keep training. We’ll meet once a week to build muscle memory for the strikes and releases you’ve already learned, increase the fluidity of our movements under pressure, and add new skills (including strike combinations and ground-defense techniques). We’ll also make sure we’re keeping our mental and verbal skills sharp. Please note: Attendance in a previous Thrive ESD workshop is required for participation. Registration fee: $15. For a discount, purchase a Multi-Class Pass.
Thrive Empowerment Center believes the ability to protect and defend oneself is a human right. To this end, we welcome all individuals, regardless of age, physical ability, athletic/martial experience, race, religion, gender identity, or ability to pay. Though some courses may be specially designed for certain population segments, it’s our mission to provide varied programs for all. We encourage you to reach out to us if you feel our programs are not meeting your needs or if the cost of registration is a barrier to your attendance.