FAQs
The Classes
- What is woman’s self defense?
- Women’s self-defense is a LIFE SKILL just like CPR, First Aid, and swimming. Self-defense skills are some of the most important skills that a woman can learn. It is very hard to learn to swim when you have just fallen out of the boat. It can be done, but with every swimming lesson you take and every hour that you practice prior to such an event, your chances of surviving increase. Self-defense skills work the same way. The more instruction and practice, the better.
Is this a martial arts class?
- No! Martial arts is a sport involving many fascists of physical activity, training, and rules. The LADY Program is a women’s self-defense class that does NOT require aerobic activities, strength training, or agility skills. Every woman has the ability to defend themselves if they know how. You do not have to be a ninja warrior to defend yourself against an assailant.
- What will I learn in class?
- The goal of women’s self-defense training is not to learn to be a deadly fighting machine. Although you will learn how to protect yourself and fight for those you care about, the goal is to become more aware and more confident. These are the traits that will change your life and make it more enjoyable.
- Isn’t The LADY Program just an introduction to martial arts?
- Why are classes restricted to females?
- Because the majority of attackers are male and the majority of victims are female we focus on teaching self-defense to girls and women. Our organization has no way to weed out the men who really need our services, nor can we weed out professional predators who would like to take our classes to find out what their potential victims are learning. For these reasons, we do not teach boys over age 11.
- Can I come to the class and just watch?
- Yes; you will still be considered a student. In each class we address environmental, behavioral, verbal, and physical self-defense. Even if you choose not to participate in the physical defense portion of the class or the discussions, you will gain a great deal of knowledge by attending.
Scheduling and Enrolling
- Can I schedule a presentation for my group or association?
- I’m I too old and out of shape for this class? I’m not physically fit.
- Self-defense is not about the physical. It is about the mental. It doesn’t matter what shape you are in; you always have options. In fact, this class is more helpful for those of us who are not in great physical shape. If you are a perfect athlete and can run a 10K race without breaking a sweat, then one of your best options is to just run and keep running; maybe the attacker can’t catch you. But we are not all in that condition, so it is more important for us to know what other options we have.
- I can take care of myself. I live in a safe neighborhood. Why should I worry?
- 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. 7% of all college freshmen women will be sexually assaulted in the first 2 months of going to college. 80% of assailants are men that the woman knows and would never suspect. Most women never see the assault coming because they don’t know the signs to look for.
The number one place for a rape to occur is NOT a dark ally, parking lot, or walking on a street in the middle of the night. It is in your own home. The place where you feel the safest is actually the place that it is easiest for a rapist to find you and keep you prisoner.
- How old does my daughter have to be to participate in this class?
- Most classes are designed for girls and women ages 13 and over. The subject matter of the classes is frank and open. We discuss dating, date rape, attempted sexual assault, and rape. It is important that students are mature enough to comprehend the magnitude of the subject matter. We also request that girls age 13 to 15 attend class with a parent or adult so they have a support system to discuss questions they may not want to ask in class.We hold classes for younger girls, but because of their age, maturity level, and different self-defense needs, we teach them differently. If you would like to arrange a private group class for girls under the age of 13, please contact Julie at (269) 327-2252.
- Can people with disabilities take these classes?
- Do you have classes for boys?
- What if I can’t afford to pay?
- The LADY Program holds classes for groups who can afford to pay little if anything for a class. We also allow women and girls into our regular classes free-of-charge if you cannot afford to pay. All you need to do is make arrangements with the scheduler to attend one of these classes and enroll as usual.
- Do you provide transportation to classes?
- No. The LADY Program does not have a vehicle or proper insurance coverage to provide our students with transportation for classes. We will attempt to arrange a class for a group in a location which is easy for that group to attend as requested.
I’m Enrolled in Class
- What should I wear to class?
- When should I arrive for class?
- Plan to arrive for your class at least 15 minutes in advance on the first day you attend class. For subsequent sessions, please arrive 5 to 10 minutes in advance of the class start time. This will ensure that class begins on time and we take full advantage of the entire class time allotted. Class will end on time, so arriving late will cut into time for learning and skills practice.
- What if I miss a session?
- Multi-Session classes are taught to build skills and knowledge based on the previous session. If you must miss a class, let the instructor know in advance if possible which class you will miss. If you are coming to class with a friend, make arrangements for your friend to share her notes and new skills with you before the next class.I addition, anyone attending a multi-session class is eligible to re-take the same class for a substantially discounted price. This will allow you to make up sessions you have missed and take the whole class again as a refresher course.
- Do you have refresher courses?
- Yes. Anyone attending a multi-session class is eligible to re-take the same class for a substantially discounted price. This allows you to make up sessions you have missed as well as take the whole class again as a refresher course. See the schedule or call for more information. (269) 327-2252
