Casper Dojo offers both a sport and a self defense focus through it's various programming. You won't see a "self defense class" on our schedule because self protection means different things to different people. What you will find instead is a focus on self protection principles to varying degrees in each of our classes.
There is no "one size fits all" for self-protection. The best way to prepare for physical and domestic violence is to be a part of an ongoing program that teaches physical skills, builds self-confidence, and provides a good group of people to surround yourself with. These things are not able to be built in an afternoon or even a weekend. But we hope that providing a fun and productive environment will bring value and positive impact in your life.
For kids, our Warriors program exposes children to self defense principles inter-woven into fun and engaging lessons every day after school.
We believe that the most important thing to understand about self defense specifically for women is that women are not attacked the way men are. The types of violence, mental and emotional abuse, and the methods employed are different for women and this has to be considered when choosing a program and a teacher.
● Brazilian Jiujitsu
If you can only take one program, Brazilian Jiujitsu is the one to choose.
Control and restraint are often the methods used to attack or subdue women. Jiujitsu focuses specifically on these areas. Building comfort and confidence in the ability to resist these type of attacks is where Jiujitsu shines.
● Karate
If you need a second choice, Karate is it. Karate focuses on self protection scenarios rather than sport contexts. It is an art that focuses on striking, grappling, escape, and avoidance. Being able to put someone on the ground and defend from the ground is included in this holistic approach to self protection. Karate and Jiujitsu compliment each other very well and overlap in all the right ways.
● Kickboxing
We recommend kickboxing for women who are interested in building self-confidence and self-image through fitness and cardio. Self-confidence is an excellent attribute in conflict avoidance. Kickboxing is a highly effective striking art that leans heavily into the sport aspects of the arts. Bridging the gap between the skills taught and the way they apply to self defense is left more to the participant. For self-defense, kickboxing is more suited to men due to the nature of how violence towards men usually occurs.
● Kali Escrima
Kali Escrima is a weapon-focused art with a devastatingly unmatched offensive approach. This is an excellent art to learn to protect yourself but is best suited to people in security and law enforcement service. The skills translate to self-protection tangentially but the weapon handling/defending elements are very useful as an augment to a more directed program. Self-defense notes aside, women flourish in escrima due to it's graceful and flowing movements. Like kickboxing, if fitness and coordination are the goal, either are an excellent choice.
● Brazilian Jiujitsu
If you can only take one program, Brazilian Jiujitsu is the one to choose.
Control and restraint are often the methods used to attack or subdue women. Jiujitsu focuses specifically on these areas. Building comfort and confidence in the ability to resist these type of attacks is where Jiujitsu shines.
● Karate
If you need a second choice, Karate is it. Karate focuses on self protection scenarios rather than sport contexts. It is an art that focuses on striking, grappling, escape, and avoidance. Being able to put someone on the ground and defend from the ground is included in this holistic approach to self protection. Karate and Jiujitsu compliment each other very well and overlap in all the right ways.
● Kickboxing
We recommend kickboxing for women who are interested in building self-confidence and self-image through fitness and cardio. Self-confidence is an excellent attribute in conflict avoidance. Kickboxing is a highly effective striking art that leans heavily into the sport aspects of the arts. Bridging the gap between the skills taught and the way they apply to self defense is left more to the participant. For self-defense, kickboxing is more suited to men due to the nature of how violence towards men usually occurs.
● Kali Escrima
Kali Escrima is a weapon-focused art with a devastatingly unmatched offensive approach. This is an excellent art to learn to protect yourself but is best suited to people in security and law enforcement service. The skills translate to self-protection tangentially but the weapon handling/defending elements are very useful as an augment to a more directed program. Self-defense notes aside, women flourish in escrima due to it's graceful and flowing movements. Like kickboxing, if fitness and coordination are the goal, either are an excellent choice.
Some courses will offer female-only programs for Women's Self Defense. This is sometimes necessary to build confidence if a trauma has already been experienced. Healing and recovery are different than proactive training. We have options for female-only or family-only courses below.
In general, whenever possible, we believe it is important to not foster a fear of men through this approach. Confidence is crushed the first time a woman tries her skills against someone larger and stronger without having been able to prepare for that situation. Confidence blooms when a woman can see and feel that the things she's learning are effective. Not effective in general, but specifically for them because they've felt and accomplished it themselves. We do this by providing a safe training environment with instructors that are attentive, understanding, and able to support your growth and success.
We aim to empower women, not feed false confidence.
Our ongoing classes are the best way to build strong physical skills, confidence, and exposure to self-protection concepts. A breakdown of the way each program focuses on these things is listed above.
Direct discussion of the more sensitive, yet more important topics and soft skills are reserved for our private instruction. The ability to comfortably discuss the realities of existing, previous, or potential situations in a class setting is difficult for many people.
The hard truth is that physical skills are the last line of defense in Self Protection. Awareness, avoidance, conflict-resolution, boundary setting, and education in the ways manipulation, grooming, and victim selection play a far greater role. These are topics we cover in our private instruction listed below.
Direct discussion of the more sensitive, yet more important topics and soft skills are reserved for our private instruction. The ability to comfortably discuss the realities of existing, previous, or potential situations in a class setting is difficult for many people.
The hard truth is that physical skills are the last line of defense in Self Protection. Awareness, avoidance, conflict-resolution, boundary setting, and education in the ways manipulation, grooming, and victim selection play a far greater role. These are topics we cover in our private instruction listed below.
When it comes to group or private training, we are huge proponents of the training being individualized. To accomplish this, we offer options to set up exclusive private lessons for one or many to cater to your specific needs. If this suits your goals, reach out to schedule something just for you!
