A close friend paid her way through college by working as a stripper. She hired me to bodyguard her and her fellow performers whenever they did private shows. To be clear, they were not sex workers, but some clients wouldnt take no for an answer without my intervention. I soon discovered that job wasnt the only reason she had to view the world around her differently than I did. Our conversations were thought-provoking, highlighting a variety of subjects that I have rarely seen in womans self-defense prior to reading this book. Lets face it, most martial arts were designed by men, primarily for men, hence fail to account for differences in biology, threat vectors, and lifestyle. Reimagining Womans Self-Defense corrects traditional misconceptions, advocating a framework of protective offense with proven strategies for avoiding danger, de-escalating conflict, and fighting back effectively. Its well-written, practical, and an important call to action that should be embraced by anyone who wants to help women move through the world more safely.
Lawrence Kane, Sensei, American Martial Arts Alliance (AMAA) Whos Who in the Martial Arts Hall of Honors Inductee, SIG Sourcing Supernova Hall of Fame Member, ProcureCon EPIC Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, bestselling multi-award-winning author of 31 books, including Musashis Dokkodo, The Little Black Book of Violence, The Big Bloody Book of Violence, How to Win a Fight, and Surviving Armed Assaults
Reimagining Womens Self-Defense shatters the centuries-old beliefs of women in conflict then reshapes them to strengthen every weapon in the arsenal for optimum mental, emotional, and physical self-defense. Teja VanWicklens expertise, personal story, and life-long passion for the fighting arts have culminated in this brilliant book, one that is certain to advance and elevate womens training for years to come.
Lori Hartman Gervasi, author of Fight Like a Girland Win: Defense Decisions for Women
Women face unique situations and challenges, yet most traditional martial arts training fails to address them adequately or does so only in the most general terms. Teja VanWicklens Reimagining Womens Self-Defense seeks to fill that gap and does so admirably, drawing on her many years of training and personal experiences growing up in the heart of New York City. With compelling stories, raw honesty, and hard-won wisdom, Teja dispenses genuinely useful, pragmatic advice that applies to real-world situations, much of which I have never heard discussed in any martial arts class. Teja has boldly reimagined womens self-defense beyond mere fighting techniques: she considers lifestyle, psychology (of both criminals and their intended victims), situational awareness, trauma recovery, health and nutrition, legal concerns, and morebecause truly effective self-defense doesnt happen in the vacuum of traditional martial arts training.
Jennifer Ouellette, author of Me Myself, and Why, science journalist, recipient of science writing award (Acoustical Society of America), Humanist of the Year 2018 American Humanist Association (AHA), Shodan Niseido Jujitsu
I have been a single parent since my kids were 6 months old. I was in deployment ready units until the oldest went to university and have several missions and exercises domestic and international while parenting very young children. The challenges that working single parents face is already monumental, add to it the threat of physical violence. I felt genuine fear taking them out alone in certain areas. Fortunately for me, Teja and I were both looking for ways to better ourselves and she happened to be giving a class on womens self-defense (not a traditional one) and I immediately signed up. The course was eye-opening and life changing. Teja spelled out in simple terms why traditional self-defense courses fell short of the mark, leaving many with a false sense of security.
I was immediately drawn to her way of speaking about womens self-defense. Teja spoke a language I understood and even though we were both physically very strong and capable women, the reality of infants, toddlers and children brought a world of problems that even with my skill set I felt completely unprepared for. I had completed difficult training with Army combat trades, learned loads about how to survive in the wild, how to take care of equipment, move safely in various environments or inclement weather, taken intense first-aid for deployments, yet I was unsure how to confront a dangerous situation with a stroller, a diaper bag, and a toddler or two in tow. After having had to chase three on a beach, all at once, in three separate and equally dangerous directions (road, nettle patch, and water) with a compromised bikini top it was clear I needed to up my safety game.
I encourage all women who suddenly find themselves on uneven footing as new parents to read her book. I am so grateful for Teja and her work, and firmly believe we can all benefit from her knowledge. It takes a village, and she has my vote for Chief.
Sgt Deloris Del Rio, CD (ret.)
As a wheelchair user and founder of a self-defense instruction nonprofit, I have reached the same conclusion as Teja regarding the state of self-defense for womenIt is badly in need of a makeover.
Reimaging Womens Self-Defense is a strategic plan of action for women. [ It is] loaded with personal stories and references to relevant subject matter, and arms women and self-defense instructors with a clear and concise instructional framework.
The self-defense industry is both male dominated and fighting-centric; the self-defense aspect is more defense of ego than anything else. Reimaging Womens Self-Defense is a deep dive into personal protection. It is the culmination of Tejas many years of intense study and well worth your time.
Erik Kondo, founder of self-defense nonprofit NOT-ME! Inc., author of Not-Me! Self-Defense and the Martial Arts for and by People with SCI/D
Reimagining Women's Self-Defense came to me at exactly the right time in my life. Pre-pandemic I [ was an instructor with] Street Sheild Self-DefenseI taught the soft skills and performed demonstrations while my sensei taught the physical skills. Since then, I've suffered a series of serious injuries that have left me wondering what I can still contribute to teaching. Teja's book made me think deeply and productively. I learned not only from her own experiences, but also from the brilliant way she organized the book using the Self-Defense Continuum. This reminded me that the soft skills are actually the most important part of any women's self-defense training. Teja's experience in life and on the mat puts her in the forefront of teaching the people who actually need it: women, injured women, women who must protect others. My children are grown so I protect my elderly mom. Teja is centering and naming that truth.
Amy Stewart-Cooper, ADHD Leadership Coach, 500 Rising Endorsed Colleague, co-instructor Street Sheild Self-Defense, 2nd degree black belt (Nidan) Okinawan Kenpo
Tejas journey as a female practitioner in martial arts will resonate with other women who have confronted the outlier experience of being the only woman on the mat. Her writing begins with what it means to be a female practitioner screaming into the void of combat fighting systems designed by and for men. If you too are one of those women you will feel heard in these pages.
For the adventurous martial arts novice, the material will help guide your training in what is still a male oriented profession (in approach, technique, and curriculum). The information in these pages ranges from critical prevention skills to Tejas recommendations for foundational physical responses to the last threshold in self-defensethe physical fight. For the coach, trainer, and seasoned practitioner Teja has accomplished a Herculean challenge, organizing mountains of information into chapters, and closing with bulleted summaries and applicable exercises whether or not you are training with a dojo. As the book concludes, she tells the reader The best way to learn anything is to use it. Throughout each chapter, she provides suggestions on how to do exactly that. Enjoy!
Tammy Yard-McCracken, Psy.D., LPC., Krav Maga instructor, certified Conflict Communication instructor, self-defense instructor, founder of Kore Self-Defense & Krav Maga, violence dynamics instructor, founder and CEO 500Rising, Inc., speaker, corporate trainer, and psychotherapist with experience in trauma recovery and survivors of violence
As a physical educator, martial arts practitioner and instructor, and security professional, I have found that the more I train and study self-defense and survival arts, the more I understand the importance of learning the most realistic, current, and practical skills from top instructors and reputable sources. However, physical skill is only a small part of the equation. Reimagining Womens Self-Defense offers a comprehensive, well-researched, and thought-provoking overview of broader knowledge. To that end, the author incorporated personal anecdotes, relevant quotes, acronyms, and sketches throughout the text. She also integrated devices created by renowned experts, into the Self-Defense Continuum, a model that clearly outlines the complex process of crime in a format that is easy for the average person to understand. This manuscript is an essential read for anyone seeking to gain the mental, emotional, and physical tools to protect themselves and loved ones from violent threats if necessary. Knowledge is power, and a well-informed, tactical mindset is the ultimate weapon. This book provides... and then some!
Rick Mitchell, B.A. Physical Education, fully-qualified instructor Taboada Balintawak Escrima, 4th degree black belt Modern Arnis, International World Cup Full-Contact Stick Fighting Grand Champion, Pan American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, security professional
Holistic, informative, and intelligent. This is a book that has been needed for quite some time. I read it with some expectation, having seen some of the authors work before, and it did not disappoint. It is not a rehash but rather it is a serious look at what is needed for good, effective self-defense, filtered to be more accessible and applicable to women and other marginalized people and communities. It does not rely on fear to sell its lessons, it relies on knowledge, facts, and personal experience. Whats more, it closes out each section with action points that teach you to integrate what you have just learned into your life, internally, not as a costume. Teja includes all of the various aspects that I think are required to take care of oneself in the modern environment, including the use of effective weapons, and she even gets into some first aid in the aftermath of a critical incident. I am glad to see this book come out, and highly recommend it to everyone, especially women, it is needed.
Terry Trahan, Silat instructor, protection specialist, bouncer, author
Recently a female student asked me which martial art would be best for self-defense. I answered her truthfully, none. There is a small amount of self-defense knowledge that can be extracted from martial arts.
In Reimagining Womens Self Defense Teja has drawn on her extensive experience, synthesized some excellent material, and sourced knowledge from experts in their respective fields, to provide a unique resource for women seeking self-defense guidance. I will be recommending this book to the women, and men, who train with me here in the United Kingdom.
Garry Smith, author of Fighting Fit: Go Wild and Kick and Punch Your Way to Fitness.
Too many self-defense resources are offered by large, athletic men with law enforcement and/or military experience. Although I have immense respect for those men, they know very little about the safety of women. How could they? Their size, experience, relationship with violence, and even the sort of predator who might attack them, are entirely different from what a soccer mom, college co-ed, or career woman might face.
Teja VanWicklen, does more than identify this problem. She presents solutions in a scientifically grounded, street-tested, and above all usable framework that can be applied today and become expert knowledge in time. Women, parents of girls, and every martial artist or self-defense instructor should read this book.
Jason Brick, 6th degree black belt, host of the podcast Safest Family on the Block, author of Safest Family on the Block, and There I WasWhen Nothing Happened.
