Our Approach to Teaching Women's Self Defense at Girls Who Fight
Our mission is to provide the best possible training program for a woman who wants to learn how to defend herself against a physical...
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The Girls Who Fight women's SELF DEFENSE seminar
We teach women effective self defense techniques for relevant situations women face in the real world.
At Girls Who Fight, we specialize in making women excellent in the precise physical and mental skills to deter, detect, and defend violence, and producing confident women who are ready, willing, and capable of fighting for themselves in all domains.
Women are the people who need effective self defense skills the most.
75% of people who are kidnapped are female. 89% of people who are sexually assaulted are female. And 45% of female homicide victims are killed by their male spouse. Accordingly, women deserve an exceptional self defense program that's 100% tailored to their objectives and experience. The Girls Who Fight seminar teaches tailored, actionable skills that improve women's safety through a high-energy experience that's just as fun and inspiring as it is valuable. Our clients include universities, companies, unions, churches, charities, sports teams, government agencies, and any type organization that brings women together.
The Girls Who Fight Seminar
90-Minute Self Defense Seminar
The objective of our Self Defense Seminar is to completely transform the way women think and feel about their ability to protect themselves. Through effective physical self defense techniques, practical street-smart strategies, and inspiring instruction, participants leave with the skills and mindset to become their own personal body-guard.
Techniques to Defend and Escape an Attack
You'll learn our hand-picked selection of basic, effective self defense techniques to defend common attacks like grabs and strikes
Strategies to Detect and Deter Violence
We teach you how to defeat a predators strategy, so you never have to defeat the predator physically. You'll learn how to identify early danger signs and how to never become a target in the first place
Mental Strength & Fighting Spirit
The ultimate transformation of our workshop is your mindset. The biggest barrier women face is that most don't believe they can survive an attack against a man, and beliefs are self fulfilling. Our training is designed to fundamentally shift every woman's belief system to produce women who are willing, capable, and ready to defend their lives.
Girls Who Fight
Program Partners
Through our program partnership with Refuge For Women we provide free, monthly self defense training to survivors of human trafficking
Girls Who Fight is an official program partner of the Girl Scouts of North East Texas.
The Girls Who Fight women's SELF DEFENSE PROGRAM
book
We teach women effective self defense techniques for relevant situations women face in the real world.
Confidence. Security. Irreplaceable Physical Skill.
Martial Arts are a proven vehicle to achieve priceless outcomes, so why are so few women in martial arts? Because 99.9% of martial arts programs are designed for men who want to win martial arts competitions, not women who want to learn self defense. Typical martial arts gyms lose female students faster than they get them, which is why they don't bother focusing on them.
We'd argue that women are the people who need effective self defense skills the most. According to FBI data, 75% of people who are kidnapped are female. 89% of people who are sexually assaulted are female. And 45% of female homicide victims are killed by their male spouse.
Women deserve an exceptional self defense program that's 100% tailored to their objectives and experience. We created Girls Who Fight so women could learn the most effective self defense techniques from Mixed Martial Arts for the threat situations women actually face
— in a completely positive, professional, and friendly environment—
while gaining the physical, mental, and character strength that will transform your entire life.
We're not here to teach you a few tricks, nor are we here to develop competitors. We exist to make you excellent in the precise physical and mental skills to deter, detect, and defend violence; and transform you into a confident person who is willing, ready, and capable of fighting for yourself in all domains.
Taught By Girls Who Fight Founder & Head Instructor Gemma Sheehan
Hello, I’m Gemma! I'm a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt and ex-MMA fighter with 15+ years experience training and competing in kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I achieved an MMA record of 5-1 and was ranked the best female fighter in Ontario. In 2017 I retired as a fighter (I was scared of emerging head trauma), but even though I stepped away from my dream I felt like I could do anything.
My martial arts journey gave me immense confidence, significance, community, physical and mental strength, and conviction in my ability to fight for myself and what I want in life. Combat skills are a highly useful vehicle for personal growth, so why do so few women stick to it? Because 99.9% of schools are exclusively focused on men who want to win competitions, not women's self defense.
In 2017 I founded Girls Who Fight with a mission to give girls and women the skills to protect their lives and succeed in everything they do. Through physical training, street-smart education, and unforgettably motivational experiences, we ignite the powerful belief that you have everything it takes to be your fiercest protector.
We deliver this transformative training through our classes and courses in DFW and the incredible workshops we provide for every type of organization around the world!
Book Your Seminar
To Book your Girls Who Fight Seminar at our pristine facility in Highland Village please book through our calendar.
To inquire about a seminar at your own facility please contact us.
Watch the Girls Who Fight Origin Story (2019)⚡️
"Absolutely Phenomenal"
"We had Gemma come out during International Women's Day to train the ladies of our building. We all had a great time and enjoyed the session so much. She is a great instructor!"
-Kelsey L, Varispace
"Gemma came to our organization to speak to a group of moms. She showed up prepared for a demonstration to give us a short lesson in personal protection. It was relevant to our everyday lives. She was bubbly, funny, interactive, high energy, professional, and confident. She did great with our group of moms and would always be relevant to young adult girls. The information gave you a sense of power and strength."
-Tiffany M, YMSL Argyle
"I've had Gemma Sheehan teach five Virtual Self Defense Workshops at Lambton College and she was amazing every time. Gemma has an amazing energy and is very passionate about the material she teaches. She taught the students practical self defense skills and provided them with a valuable lesson on street safety. All of the students who attended had nothing but amazing things to say about Gemma."
-Ashleigh Carrol, Lambton College
"For almost 10 years I have hosted an invite-only conference for clients, and I can say without hesitation that Gemma was one of the most engaging speakers we’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. She was funny, candid, inspiring and heartfelt. Her story is both unique and universal, and my audience of business and marketing leaders were truly moved. Gemma is interesting, and inspiring."
Neil Follet, Brightworks
"We booked a 1.5 hr self-defense training session and it was amazing. Everyone, even our shyest girls, participated fully, and Gemma took the time to watch each one and give them specific pointers and encouragement. She had them laughing and fully engaged from beginning to end."
-Melissa Brydges, Girl Guides of Ontario
"We hired Gemma to do a webinar with over 1000 members of an online parent community and the response from her session on "Street Smarts for Kids" was absolutely phenomenal. We couldn't recommend her enough for a workshop or any other kind of online session. Every parent and child needs access to the information she can share."
-Samantha P, Cat & Nat
Contact Us
The Science Behind Self Defense Training
Women's self‐defense training is the only sexual violence prevention strategy with solid evidence of effectiveness at reducing rates of victimization.
A study of three Canadian universities found that women who completed a self defense course were nearly half as likely
to report being raped during the 1‐year follow‐up period than the control group. Unwanted sexual contact
and attempted rape were also significantly lower for women who completed the training.
A study of 522 high school girls in Kenya found that girls who received self defense training were 63% less likely to have experienced a sexual assault 1 year later than girls at schools who did not.
An analysis of the National Crime Victimization Survey data found that taking “self‐protective action” reduced the likelihood of completed rape by 87%. Physical self‐defense was especially effective, resulting in an 81% decrease in the likelihood of completed rape.
Click here for a list of published studies on the effectiveness of self defense training for violence prevention
Women's Self Defense Articles by Girls Who Fight
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