Step outside with self-reliant self-defense skills
About
What’s Our Why?
Self-worth, Self-Confidence and Self-Reliance all contribute to an individuals ability to stand-up and be heard. Self-defense knowledge can serve to strengthen and connect the mind and body to act together. Imagine spending less time on worry and fear, and more on being your best self.
Right now our world needs innovation and ideas to solve deep challenges like the climate crisis and corresponding ecological disasters as well as social justice. We need everyone to be able to show up in the world with their ideas, strengths and voices.
Learn more about workshops, seminar series and private lessons.
About You
You could be anybody. Everyone deserves the opportunity to walk through the world with peace and security, to spend their time and energy on positive action rather than fear of danger around every turn. You might be in charge of a group of young women, and know the stats for assault, and while not wanting to scare them, want them to have the ability to set boundaries, to say no, to speak up. Perhaps you wish you had had those skills during certain times of your life. Or you’ve read something in the news that makes you angry, scares you or brings back a memory.
Perhaps you want to be able to go hiking, biking, walking, running, or skip through a field of sunflowers - alone like I wanted to. Just like you see guys doing - all the time. Perhaps you have some weight (physical or emotional) from a past experience that you’d like to set down, move past. You’re ready to be the conductor of your train of life rather than riding in the caboose. Or you might even be walking around in regular clothes, working at the office (or teleworking) but you secretly have this sense that you have an internal badass superhero inside who just needs some skills so you’re ready to defend yourself and others.
About Tori Garten - Head Instructor
Tori began training self-defense based on Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2006. She is a certified instructor and Black Belt under Grand Master Relson Gracie and Greg Bartman. She is currently the highest ranked woman under GM Relson Gracie on the East Coast, and one of only 3 in the USA.
Tori has extensive experience teaching a wide variety of students of all genders. In particular she feels called to support women, girls, teens, the LGBTQ community and underserved populations, as well as those who have been assaulted in some manner in the past. Her goal is to support learning skills that support an individuals ability to move through the world with safety and confidence.
In 2012 she started and taught the KickAss Women's Self-Defense Class at Bartman MMA and Self-Defense. Additionally she has designed and taught a multitude of self-defense seminars and workshops for the general public as well as for special groups such as Girl Scouts & Brownies, Venture groups, Refugees and underserved populations, as well as part of Take Your Kid to Work day workshops for kids at NIH, and during “Career Day” at elementary and middle schools.
Tori has coached a variety of women self-defense skills through private lessons. Private lessons allow an individual to move at their own pace and address specific concerns. Some students need more time to be accustomed to body contact and physical touch which can be key to staying present in a self-defense situation. Or a student is simply ready to learn and wants to absorb as much knowledge, information and experience in a focused individualized manner.
Tori feels strongly that everyone, regardless of age, strength or athletic ability should have the opportunity to learn to defend themselves in a safe and welcoming environment while learning self-defense based on the beautiful art of Jiu-Jitsu with the incorporation of mental, emotional and verbal skills.
She has a strong interest in the practical application of self-defense, and recognizes the positive impact that conquering physical, mental and at times emotional challenges can have on increasing an individual's self-confidence. She has also seen the positive impact training has on kids who come in shy and unsure of themselves, and leave with greater confidence and gumption as well for women, teen girls and those that are female identifying.
Her instructional specialties include:
Physical Self-Defense (including against weapon attacks)
Mental, Emotional and Verbal aspects of self-defense
Working with women with previous assault backgrounds
Designing and teaching self-defense seminars for small groups
Relson Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) Level I and Level II certified
Working with kids with a variety of personalities, backgrounds and needs
Tori also has cleared background checks through the US Army for working with children. She is certified in Advanced First Aid, AED and CPR, Wilderness First Aid as well as trained for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of Montgomery County, Maryland.
Tori is a graduate of Bowdoin College.