Confidence that comes from knowing you can respond.

Since 2003, SHIELD Women’s Self Defense System® has been empowering women and girls with practical self-defense skills designed for real-world, close-range situations.

Our training focuses on teaching women and girls how to effectively fight back against a larger, stronger opponent. Unlike many traditional martial arts and self-defense programs, SHIELD emphasizes the strategic use of leverage, technique, and lower-body strength to generate power and overcome differences in size and physical strength.

Drawing from proven martial arts principles, practical self-defense techniques, and real-world fighting skills, SHIELD Women’s Self Defense System® was created specifically for women and girls.

Why Training Matters

The principle behind SHIELD is simple: to become comfortable responding to something, we first have to experience it.

We cannot learn to swim without getting into the water. In the same way, knowing self-defense techniques intellectually is very different from having practiced how to respond under pressure.

The difference between fear and terror is knowing what to do.

When we know how to respond, fear can become a powerful ally—heightening our awareness, sharpening our focus, and motivating us to act. But when we have never experienced a threatening situation in training and have no clear goal on how to response, fear can become overwhelming and lead to freezing.

That difference comes down to one thing: TRAINING.

SHIELD training is designed to help women and girls develop the skills, confidence, and instinctive responses necessary to take decisive action when it matters most.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to empower women and girls, help eradicate sexual assault, and level the playing field through our unique and practical self-defense training system.

We believe every woman and girl should have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to protect herself when faced with a threat.

OUR VISION

Our vision is a world in which women and girls possess the self-defense skills, confidence, and capability to respond decisively and powerfully to anyone who attempts to violate or harm them.

Our vision is also for SHIELD Women’s Self Defense System® to become the standard in self-defense training for women and girls—providing practical, effective training that prepares them not merely to understand self-defense, but to use it when it matters most.

"Right from the first class, we were immersed in drills that gave us first hand experience about what it was like to be jolted (off balance) and attacked. No part of our bodies was safe; throat, hair, sneak   attacks from behind, being lifted off the ground. All of these scenarios sound terrifying. Yet Nelson helped us to experience and free ourselves from discomfort and anxiety. This went far beyond  mental  preparation. My body quickly adapted to aggressive physical  contact, and instinctively “knew” how react in order to defend and free myself. And how to turn the tables on an attacker. No situation left me frozen in fear or pain.  This was remarkable feeling for me!

I have been urging friends to take this  incredible course. The moves  are so basic, so easy. This is the only  self defense course that has  been so liberating for me....(con't to Endorsement page)