Includes 6 DVDs (each with the approximate running time of 90 minutes, except for the 6th DVD which features the Pink Belt Qualification Test)
50-page Women Empowered 'Total Empowerment' Handbook!
Women Empowered is the Gracie Self-defense Program for Women. Originally, this 15-lesson program could only be accessed at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, CA, but now, the entire program is available on DVD, so you can complete the course from the comfort of your own home under the direct guidance of Ryron and Rener Gracie, along with special guest instructors Sage Gracie and Eve Torres! The DVDs are region free and are designed to be compatible with all DVD players.
THE PHILOSOPHY
-Self-defense- is not just a set of techniques; it's a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending. No matter what you say or do, you are never at fault if sexually assaulted. You have the power within you to defeat a sexual predator, and the Women Empowered program will bring it out of you. Your first and most important line of defense is a heightened sense of awareness. Women Empowered teaches you the most common strategies used by both strangers and non-stranger assailants so you can prevent attacks before they happen. However, no matter how diligently you practice awareness and avoidance techniques, someone might slip through your defenses and attack you. Regardless of your age or physical condition, you CAN and SHOULD defend yourself, and the Women Empowered program will give you the tools and the confidence to make it happen.
THE DIFFERENCE
Although there are many women's self-defense programs on the market, the Women Empowered program is unique in that it is effective for all women, and it is the only self-defense program that effectively addresses what to do at all Four Phases of a sexual assault. To read more about the Four Phases and the Women Empowered survival strategies at each phase, click here.
THE PROGRAM COMPONENTS
The Women Empowered program consists of 15 lessons - 10 Core Lessons and 5 Advanced Lessons. To ensure that your at-home learning experience emulates the live training students receive at the Gracie Academy Headquarters in Torrance, CA, we present the Women Empowered lessons on DVD in precisely the same format that you would experience if you were to receive private lessons from a Gracie Academy instructor. Each lesson features a series of simplified drills or Slices, along with a Reflex Development Drill designed to help you achieve muscle memory. We also spend time in each lesson discussing the guiding principles of the techniques so you can modify and adapt them to the specific circumstances of any situation you find yourself in.
In the Core segment, we will teach you how to escape the most common control holds, including wrist grabs, chokeholds, and bear hugs. You will also master the critical physical and psychological techniques that will enable you to avoid panic and escape from an attacker who has pinned you to the ground. In the Advanced Lessons, we will teach you how to defend against less likely but equally frightening attacks including techniques for defending yourself against a sudden attack from the rear or against a predator armed with a gun or knife.
Discs 1-3: Core Lessons
Through correspondence with law enforcement professionals and reports submitted by sexual assault victims, we've discovered that, while the specific circumstances of each sexual assault may vary, the general attack strategies are strikingly similar in most cases. In the 10 Core Lessons, we will teach you how to escape several of the most common standing attacks, including wrist grabs, chokeholds, and bear hugs, as well as how to use strategic strikes to distract the assailant and break free. You will also learn how to use verbal assertiveness to set boundaries, and you will master the critical physical and psychological techniques that will enable you to avoid panic and escape from underneath an attacker who has pinned you to the ground in Phase 3.
Sample Clip from Disc 1 Video: Lesson 2 - Wrist Release (Variation 1), Slice 1 Sample Clip from Disc 2 Video: Lesson 6 - Guard Get-up, Slice 4
Disc 4: Advanced Lessons 11-15
Once you've mastered the Core Lessons, you'll be ready to take it to the next level. In the five Advanced Lessons, we will teach you how to defend against less likely but equally frightening attacks including what to do if the someone attacks you from behind, or if the attacker grabs you by the hair at any point during the assault. You will even learn sound strategies to defend against a predator armed with a gun or knife. The bottom line, once you complete the Advanced Lessons, you will be a force to reckon with.
Disc 5: The Pink Belt Qualification Test
When we created Women Empowered, we sought a way to acknowledge a woman's successful completion of the course. We wanted to stick with the tradition of awarding belts, but, because the course featured so many unique strategies, objectives, techniques, and psychology tailored to a special set of circumstances, the standard Gracie Jiu-Jitsu belt system did not apply. So, we decided to add an entirely new belt, and since pink was the only color not used in the existing belt system, we introduced the Women Empowered Pink Belt!
Once you are 100% confident in your execution of all the Women Empowered techniques we invite you to take the Pink Belt Qualification Test via our Video Evaluation Process. Digitally record your performance of all 15 lessons, and upload the video to the Internet at www.GracieUniversity.com. Once uploaded, a Gracie Academy instructor will evaluate your test, and if your performance meets Gracie Academy standards, we will mail you a Women Empowered graduation certification and an official pink belt to symbolize your accomplishment!
The pink belt is not a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu belt. It is a standalone belt meant only to serve as a symbol of successful completion for the Women Empowered program. If you don't like the color pink, don't be offended; it's just a color. Most importantly, always remember: chase not the belt - but the knowledge.
Disc 6: Total Empowerment Talks
Total empowerment begins with total awareness. On this DVD, you will join the instructors: Ryron, Rener, Ralek, Sage, and Eve for critical discussions covering the most important awareness principles and safety strategies. Even if you are well versed in safety strategies and very aware of your surroundings, viewing these lessons will reinforce your safety consciousness and heighten your awareness in a variety of settings. The talks include Street Smarts, Undercover Assailants, The College Talk, and Total Empowerment. If you have an hour or so to show your friends what the Women Empowered program is about, this is the DVD you want to show them. Regardless of age, athletic ability, or experience level, this DVD will boost confidence and increase the inner empowerment of anyone who views it.
Bonus: The Survival Handbook for Women
Along with your DVD collection, you will get 50-page handbook written by Ryron and Rener Gracie, with additional input from law enforcement professionals and survivors or sexual assault, that includes all the essential survival principles covered in the DVDs as well as several life-saving safety tips not covered in the video lessons. Simply reading this handbook will heighten your awareness exponentially. Review this handbook every few months to ensure you are always ready, and share it with your friends or family members to ensure that they, too, have the knowledge to stay safe should they cross paths with a determined sexual predator.
THE PARTNERSHIP
There are several national outreach programs that are committed to preventing rape and abuse towards women. The Gracie Academy has partnered with these organizations to ensure that the Women Empowered program is made available to those who need it most. For every 10 Women Empowered DVD collections sold, we will donate one Women Empowered DVD collection to a battered women's shelter or rape prevention organization.
THE SPECS
The Women Empowered DVDs are region free and are designed to be compatible with any DVD player (NTSC).
If you're a woman, and you've EVER thought about learning self-defense, this program is for you. If you're a man, and you've always wanted your wife/girlfriend/sister/daughter/mother to learn self-defense, but she's too intimidated to take classes at the local martial arts club, this program is for her. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Note: All DVD sales are final.
