Some women and girls wonder if they are physically fit enough for our programs. If you can walk up a flight of stairs carrying something, walk quickly across a room to pick up a ringing phone, and sit down on the floor and get up again, you are fit enough to participate. You need not be in top physical shape to take our programs; most participants are not. IMPACT Chicago recommends, however, that you postpone taking the class if you are recovering from a significant injury or are pregnant. 

We also recommend that if you have been sexually assaulted you wait at least three months between the assault and taking an IMPACT course. Most women who have been recently assaulted are still working through the trauma of the assault, and the simulated scenarios can stimulate flashbacks of the real-life assault, delaying emotional healing. We highly recommend that anyone who has been assaulted and is contemplating taking our program consult a therapist before registering. This training is not meant to substitute for therapy.

Program Descriptions
Core Program
The Core Program is IMPACT Chicago's most intensive program, allowing women to gain the most self-defense training in the shortest amount of time. This program is typically scheduled for two consecutive weekends, with at least six hours of instruction on both Saturday and Sunday (usually from 11am to 5pm). Program size is limited to no more than 15 women to ensure the highest level of personal training and attention from the Instructor team. 

Over the four-day program, training progresses from verbal boundary setting to responses to a physical assault, culminating in simulated attack scenarios where women begin in both upright and prone positions. In these simulated attacks, the mock assailant, a male IMPACT instructor, wears heavily padded armor, thus allowing women to deliver their strikes and kicks with full force, just as they would need to in an actual attack. By the end of the course, women have used their skills to assess danger, set boundaries, and respond effectively to verbal and physical attacks.  (Read an IMPACT success story!)

If you'd like to read more about this and other IMPACT programs offline, you can download our detailed Information Packet. (Note:You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® software to open this file. If you do not have Adobe®Acrobat® Reader®, you can download it at no cost from Adobe Systems, Inc.) 

Teen Core Program
This unique Core Program for Teens is open to teenagers 15-19 years old. In the course, participants will learn how to handle situations teen girls are most likely to face. The course will use teaching strategies based on the ways teens learn. With the emotional support and intensive, experienced-based format of all IMPACT courses, the teen course will allow teens to learn crucial skills for defending themselves with their bodies, their voices and the fuel of their spirits. 

Here's what a few recent Teen IMPACT graduates had to say about their experience:   

"Impact has made be a better young woman. It helped me to realize I have power and I need to use it more."

"Impact has changed me a lot in many ways. I am now able to defend myself not only physically but emotionally as well. I'm really glad I came."

"Impact has made a better person out of me. It has made me stronger and more courageous."

IMPACT for Girls: Core Skills for Ages 12-15
In this 8-hour program offered over two days, participants will learn how to handle situations that girls between the ages of 12 and 15 are most likely to face. Teaching strategies are based on experiences of young teens and the way they learn. In IMPACT for Girls, young teens will learn crucial skills for dealing with everyday life situations and potentially unsafe situations.

The program begins with an introduction to IMPACT, including an overview of IMPACT Chicago's mission and approach to teaching self-defense and a chance to hear from women who have completed an IMPACT course. The audience will also hear from one of the men who wears body armor that allows him to take on the role of an attacker while maximizing his safety and the safety of women in the course.

Immediately following this half-hour introduction, the program focuses on women enrolled in the current program defending themselves. Attendees will have a chance to see for themselves how the IMPACT method works and to join in the cheers! Attendees will hear from women who have just completed the final three scenarios in the course and have a chance to talk with them and female and male instructors. Because of the realism of the program, we do not recommend this program for children under age 12.

The "What is IMPACT?" program also features a raffle drawing for a $100 gift certificate toward any 2010 IMPACT Chicago program. 

Program Fees and Payment Options
Core Program
The fee for the Core Program is $395. (That’s about $16/hour for a state-of-the-art self-defense program!) An initial $100 deposit is due with your registration and is required to reserve your place in the program. The balance of the program fee ($295) must be paid by PayPal or received at the IMPACT Chicago office no fewer than 10 days prior to the beginning of the program. If sending payment by mail, it must be postmarked no fewer than 10 days prior to the beginning of the course.

Teen Core Program
The Teen Program is 8 hours shorter than the Core Program and costs $320. An initial deposit of $50 is due with your registration to reserve your space in the program. The balance of the program fee ($270) must be paid by PayPal or received at the IMPACT Chicago office no fewer than 10 days prior to the beginning of the program. If sending payment by mail, it must be postmarked no fewer than 10 days prior to the beginning of the course.

IMPACT for Girls Program
IMPACT for Girls is an 8-hour program and costs $160. An initial deposit of $50 is due with your registration to reserve your space in the program. The balance of the program fee ($110) must be paid by PayPal or received at the IMPACT Chicago office no fewer than 10 days prior to the beginning of the program. If sending payment by mail, it must be postmarked no fewer than 10 days prior to the beginning of the course. 

In an effort to make IMPACT programs accessible to all women, regardless of economic situation, we offer scholarships and alternative payment options. For more information, click on the following link: Paying for IMPACT.

Late Registration and Cancellation Fees
If you are mailing the final program payment fewer than 10 days prior to the beginning of the Core Program, Teen Program, or IMPACT for Girls program, a late fee of $20 will apply and should be included in the amount received. 

IMPACT Chicago programs have a limited enrollment in order to maximize the experience of each participant. Our ability to offer programs is jeopardized when participants cancel. For this reason, the initial deposit is nonrefundable. To cancel your registration in a course, we require witten notice at least 14 days prior to the first day of the program. If a student does not attend or complete the course in which she is enrolled, she forfeits all of her tuition. We offer no refunds.

To transfer your enrollment to a program other than the program for which you originally registered, we require written notice at least 14 days prior to the first day of the program and a $50 transfer fee. The balance of the tuition will be applied to the new course.