What is IMPACT?
"What is IMPACT?" is a free program for those who want to find out more about IMPACT self-defense, an occasion to celebrate the accomplishments of women and girls completing an IMPACT program, and a way for IMPACT graduates to stay connected to IMPACT.

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. 

Personal Safety Tools
In this 90-minute workshop, participants will learn personal safety tools, such as awareness, safe distance, and verbal and physical self-defense tools. 

Speak Up, Speak Out
In this two-hour workshop, participants will learn and practice boundary-setting tools, including: how close to stand to someone, when to make eye contact, how to project confidence, and how to use their voices. Participants will have the opporunity to practice in realistic scenarios with one instructor playing the role of a boundary violator and another serving as a coach.

Find Your Power
In 3-hour or 5-hour workshops, participants learn and practice verbal and physical self-defense tools in realistic scenarios with one instructor serving as a mock assailant and the other as a coach. The longer the workshop, the more tools that will be covered and the more opportunities participants will have to practice. The mock assailant--a male IMPACT instructor wearing a heavily padded armor--allows women to deliver their strikes and kicks with full force, just as they would need to do in an actual attack.

All Gender IMPACT Workshop
In this 5-hour workshop, you will learn verbal and physical self-defense tools and practice in realistic scenarios with a mock assailant who wears heavily padded armor and a coach to help you maximize your power and effectiveness. You will practice setting and maintaining verbal boundaries and dealing with grabs from the front and behind as well as situations where you are standing and on the ground. Open to women, men, and trans; martial artists and those who have no martial arts experience (assumes no prior martial arts training).  

Custom Workshop or Speaker
We will custom design a workshop or presentation for businesses, schools, colleges, community centers, and other organizations. Cost will be based on development time, number of participants, and travel.  

Program Fees
The cost of a speaker presentation or workshop varies depending on the number of participants, the length of the program, the number of instructors, the space and equipment requirements, and other factors. The Workshop Director will help you select a program that will most closely fit both your financial requirements and your desired program outcomes.

Organizations Offering IMPACT Workshops in 2010-2011: