Warrior Women Self Defense at MWJJ

When talking about domestic violence, we often hear about what makes a relationship unhealthy, abusive, or problematic. Here at Voices, we believe it is just as important to explore what makes a relationship healthy and respectful. This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, learn more about what makes a relationship healthy and start conversations with your friends and family! Over the course of the next week, we will be breaking down the cake, learning more about each tier and how you can incorporate all the elements into your own relationships!

If you are in an abusive or unhealthy relationship, remember that: you are not alone, it is not your fault and that help is available.

🚩🔥Red flags in dating can help save a lot of time and heartache! 🔥🚩

Never forget to trust your instincts on these things. You typically know if something feels wrong and follow your "gut feeling."

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🚩🚩The first red flag is if your date isn't conscious of your requests for safety. If you want to meet them at a public restaurant, they should respect and understand that you might not want them to know where you live, and not rely on them for a ride.

🚩🚩The second red flag is if they are not respectful to the waiter. We've heard the rule: "Look at how a man treats his mother." It works the same way with the wait staff at a restaurant. If they are not pleasant to the waiter, that is a big red flag!

🚩🚩For now, the last one- If your date insists on ordering for you, it is a sign that they might be a higher chance of controlling personality, which could cause issues down the road.

Stay tuned for more tips on red flags with dating!

💥💣 We have broken down FIVE places in general where Violence can happen 💣💥

One of those places is where minds are altered. Example: Bar, or Party atmosphere with drugs and/or drinking

When people are drunk, or high violence can occur due to their minds being physically altered by alcohol or drugs.

Rory Miller's Chiron Training

😱 Scary statistic 💥
One of the reasons boundary setting is super important in self defense is not so much for strangers, but for people we know. It can be a co-worker, neighbor, friend of a friend.

Rocking some for everyone.
The self defense industry has a bunch of myths that they have built a ton of training on. This is one of the MOST important things to know. Most people who are victimized (in fact these numbers go up from 70% when you look at human trafficking and r**e) know their attacker. I get why instructors don’t talk about this or only pay lip service to it... it is a tough convo with answers that are not easy. Having the best punch or the tightest choke is not nearly as important in real life as people want you to believe. While skill is not unimportant if you do get to a physical altercation, self defense is not, I repeat not about being being the best in a physical altercation, it is about not being in one at all. If you want to lower your chances of being selected by a predator you need to focus on setting and re-enforcing boundaries in three areas emotional, verbal, and physical. This skill set is not as sexy as martial glory, but not only will it improve your relationships it could also save your life.

Criminals are opportunistic; they seek out the people lost in their phone or can't hear them coming. They like to use the element of surprise to take advantage of someone. Awareness of your surrounding is one of the primary keys in self-defense. If you can see something coming, you can do something about it. Think about how many times you anticipated someone cutting you off in traffic- You could avoid it by maybe slowing down or stopping before you got into an accident. There are an unlimited amount of examples we can use for awareness. You know this fact! Keep your eyes up, keep your head looking around, and headphones off (or low).

It's easier said than done, but you've got this! Have confidence in yourself. Confidence is key to a lot of benefits, not to mention it is the most beautiful asset!

You are allowed to be happy with who you are, and what your purpose is!

💪You are strong, and you can do anything you put your mind to.

💥 CONFIDENCE is one of the BEST things for self defense.

💥 Confidence will improve your self worth

💥Will give you more happiness and joy.

💥Less fear and anxiety

💥More peace or mind and less stress

Worst case, you can always fake it til, ya make it 😉

In self defense, "I know it" is more powerful than "I knew it"
Trust your intuition.
Read that again.

"There is not force equal to a woman determined to rise"
-W. E. B. Du Bois

You may remember me sharing a post a few weeks ago regarding a woman who was out walking on a country road and had a car stop and attempt to talk with her. She took off into the woods and was able to call her Dad to pick her up. She was carrying Mace, but in the moment of the encounter, she didn't think to get it out and ready, and was embarrassed to admit that.

Reminder-it's important to practice with the tools you carry AND there's no wrong way to survive. Don't waste a moment beating yourself up for what you did or didn't do if you are alive.

This story was shared with me by Exigence Security.

It's horrible. It's tragic. Here's key points from a few different articles I found:

-Sydney Sutherland, 25, was last seen by a UPS driver jogging in the area of State Highway 18 between Newport and Grubbs around 2:30 to 3 p.m.
-According to Sheriff Lucas, Sutherland and the suspect knew each other.
-Sutherland took her cellphone with her when she went for the jog. Searchers found the phone Thursday.
-An ASP agent said on the stand that Lewellyn “admitted to seeing Sutherland walking on CR 41.” Lewellyn reportedly then abducted her, took her to farmland and sexually assaulted her, then buried her body.
-Lewellyn is also listed as a member of a page created to aid in the search for Sutherland, who was a nurse.

She went for a walk, in the middle of the afternoon. Lewellyn was known to her (it's not clear how they are associated). He joined the FB page created to finding her. I assume it was to keep tabs on the search so he would know right away if they found her body.

I don't care who stops their vehicle to say hello while you're out walking. Keep your distance and carry a tool that you are comfortable using to protect yourself. THE MOMENT your intuition alarms start going off, your safety needs to become your #1 priority.

No one has the right to push past your boundaries (leave me alone, go away) EVER. If they think it's funny and you Mace them, well, you get the last laugh and hopefully they'll learn to never cross you again.

If you need help picking the right tool, learning what to do, or anything else relating to personal safety, email me at [email protected].

🔥🔥 BE FEARLESS 🔥🔥

To me, being fearless is continuing despite fears and doubts or things that scare you. Fear is inevitable, but fearless people understand and won't surrender.

🆘Someone who is fearless is never hesitant to ask for help.

📅Someone who is fearless goes with situations and won't get attached to a plan; they can be fluid.

⛔People who are fearless are not afraid to fail; they know they will get up and try again, and learn from their mistakes.