True To You

Empowerment Self Defence (ESD) is a comprehensive and holistic method of violence

resistance education for women and other groups vulnerable to violence. ESD programs

teach learners to use psychological, emotional and physical resilience tools to recognise the spectrum of violence and give the individual the freedom to choose how to respond before situations escalate.

Empowerment Self Defence is the only primary violence prevention program based on

empirical evidence. It is taught by an internationally trained female instructor with over 20 years of experience.

ESD training is an integrated approach through research that points to the benefi ts of

ESD training, which shows that training can be eff ective in preventing assault and healing

compared to those who do not take any training (J.Hollander & J. Cunningham, 2020.

ESD training empowers women to choose strategies that work best for their particular

situation, considering their abilities and status, the particulars of their assailant and the resources available in their environment.

Not every strategy may work in every situation for every person, but having a range of tools and options empowers them to make choices that is right for them, giving the woman the sense of agency over her mind and body.

Every program is specifi cally designed to be supportive, sustainable, longstanding,

comprehensive, inclusive and empowering. Programs are proven to promote healing and

resiliency through a trauma-informed lens.

True To You presents an impactful initiative aimed at empowering women using trauma-informed tools and applications using ancient and modern wisdom, neuroscience, conflict resolution, self-defence, mindfulness practice, boundary setting, and much more to help protect themselves.