Empower yourself

Compassionate self defence that works. Tune in to your instincts, learn techniques to uphold your boundaries, and move through life with confidence.

8 week course starts July 20, Sundays at 11.30 - 12.30 in London Bridge

£99

Tap into your power

You have the power. Together, we’ll practice feeling it and using it to validate your instincts, and make choices that serve you.

You’ll come away with moves to defuse a situation, work with your nervous system, create space to think and act.

Self defence your way

Self defence starts with self compassion. So come exactly as you are. We’ll welcome you exactly there :) You’ll have options to match your energy levels and instincts and we’ll celebrate your choices.

We’re here to work with your sensitivities and offer pathways to leverage your motivations.

Collective empowerment

The Power Project is a charity. We work with victim survivors to build safety and resilience. By joining our workshops, you’re empowering yourself and making it possible for other amazing women in your community to access the protective and life-affirming benefits of Empowerment Self Defence.

Empowering, evidence-based, and trauma informed

Empowerment Self Defence is a set of methods and mindsets addressing the patterns of violence which women face.

Coupling these with proven techniques for working with trauma in movement, the programme creates a supportive space where you can connect to your body and build skills to thrive.

“The only prevention strategy with solid evidence of effectiveness at reducing rates of victimisation.”

Hollander, Jocelyn. (2018). Women's self‐defense and sexual assault resistance: The state of the field. Sociology Compass. 12. 10.1111/soc4.12597.

From participants

Sessions like the one we had today are really important because it’s a chance for women to realise they’re not alone with what they’re experiencing.

— December 2024

I could see and sense the huge amount of care and consideration that had been put into creating the day we had together and I'm very thankful, to you both and the whole team. 

— March 2024

A very important moment for me in this session was when I learned how to say ‘no.’

— December 2024

 FAQs

  • If you’re thinking of learning self-defence but haven’t found a space that feels right just yet, we might just be that space…

    If you’re keen to learn techniques to resist violence and move through life with confidence - we’re here for you. We coach in Empowerment Self Defence, a holistic approach to personal safety that addresses the spectrum of violence, from verbal harassment to physical violence.

    If you’re keen to tap into your physical power, we’ve got you covered too. Our workshops invite you to feel and channel your strength through movement. They also offer opportunities to reflect and integrate what you’re learning.

    If you’re living with the effects of trauma from violence, and are looking looking to train with people who get it, we do. Our instructor team are trained in working with trauma in the body and designing programmes that meet you where you are and offer pathways to thrive.

    We see you as the authority on what’s right for your body. We don’t do commands or instructions, we offer invitations and options.

    If you’d like to talk more about whether a programme’s right for you, reach out.

  • Your instructor in 2025 / 2026 is Maya D'Amour.

    Maya’s style is thoughtful, creative, and collaborative and her workshops are full of respect, compassion, choice, and empowerment.

    She believes that safety starts with recognising that you deserve to be safe. You’ll practice identifying your boundaries, verbal and physical skills to uphold them, and saying what you need.

  • The next 8-week programme starts on 20 July and runs every Sunday from 11.30-12.30 in London Bridge.

  • The cost of the 8 week course is £99.

    We’ve worked hard to keep this affordable, but if cost is still a barrier, reach out.

    Equally, if you’re able and moved to supplement your fee with a charity donation to empower other women in your community to access the protective and resilience-building benefits of Empowerment Self Defence, we’d be profoundly grateful.

  • They’re a mix of movement, reflection, options to channel energy, and ground and regulate.

    Exercises integrate a range of physical and verbal boundary setting techniques, focussing on the specific safety challenges that women face.

    You’ll come away with a few fast and furious power moves to defuse a situation, and create space for yourself to think and act.

    Crucially, they put you at the centre of your own experience, offering you plenty of options and invite you to choose what feels right.

  • Great question and important to ask.

    • For starters, we acknowledge that trauma affects individuals, groups and communities

    • We ask practitioners about their known triggers and support systems so that we can incorporate accommodations and supports into the design of our activities and group agreement

    • The first thing we practise, before stances, strikes or releases, is saying 'no' to activities that don't feel right to us. We invite participants to practice saying no in sessions and celebrate when they do

    • We consider participants to be the authorities on their own experience. The activities we do are invitations not instructions. We invite participants to choose —from a range of variations, to take a pause, practise a grounding technique, or to simply say ‘no.’

    • We practise nervous system regulation techniques, and invite participants to choose ones that work well for them

    • We practise interoception and making choices in line with our instincts, energy levels, and body cues