Many people come to our classes already having been through some or many forms of violence. This means when we practice handling scenarios of harassment, intimidation, and assault, we’re not only dealing with participants’ fears about the future, but also their past experiences and memories.
Being trauma-informed means thoughtfully taking this into consideration
in everything that we do throughout the class.
Being trauma-informed means thoughtfully taking this into consideration
in everything that we do throughout the class.
How we help support you:
- Everything we do is rooted in consent, and participation is never coercive
- You will never be pressured or forced into situations that you are not ready for, and you will always be asked if you’re ready before beginning a scenario or before an instructor touches you.
- Training builds very slowly and step by step
- We don’t put people into a new situation without first giving them tools to handle it. We build confidence through repetition, observation, practicing moves in the air, drilling techniques on pads, and plenty of time for reflection and questions.
- We build an environment of community and cooperation
- You will have the support of the Lead Instructor, staff, and rest of the participants by your side every step of the way – one of our mottos at IMPACT is “No one fights alone.”
- There is room for intense feelings and big reactions
- You will never be expected to suppress tears or emotions. In fact, we welcome anger, rage, fear, joy, and all other emotions as tools in our self-defense. Instructors are experienced in helping participants re-ground after particularly difficult scenarios.
- We never engage in victim-blaming, and we help deconstruct internalized victim-blaming when it arises
- The only person who is ever responsible or to blame for violence is the perpetrator. Survivors are never judged for how they handled violence in the past: we do the best we can with what we know at the time. And while IMPACT gives us new tools and options for dealing with violence, even after taking the class we are still never responsible or to blame for anything that might happen moving forward.
What you should know about the course content:
For many survivors, fighting through these types of situations at IMPACT is healing and empowering: it can be transformative to re-work your way through experiences that are similar to the past, but in a completely different context of support, safety, and with new tools available to you. At the same time, re-experiencing situations that are similar to previous traumas (and watching as others do the same) can be triggering and bring up very intense feelings, potentially even causing additional harm depending on where you are in your healing process.
We highly encourage you to discuss whether or not this class is the right fit for you with a mental health professional who is familiar with your experiences. IMPACT is not therapy and is not a replacement for professional mental health care.
- IMPACT training is very realistic and involves situations of simulated assault where you will be fighting full-force and full-contact against an “assailant”, a role played by one of our highly trained instructors wearing padded body armor.
- Scenarios will involve full-contact such as being grabbed by the wrist or shoulder, being grabbed around both arms from behind, and being pinned down under the “assailant” while laying on the ground.
- “Assailants” also use verbal tactics commonly used by perpetrators, which may include intimidation, yelling, name-calling, gaslighting, and sexually explicit language.
For many survivors, fighting through these types of situations at IMPACT is healing and empowering: it can be transformative to re-work your way through experiences that are similar to the past, but in a completely different context of support, safety, and with new tools available to you. At the same time, re-experiencing situations that are similar to previous traumas (and watching as others do the same) can be triggering and bring up very intense feelings, potentially even causing additional harm depending on where you are in your healing process.
We highly encourage you to discuss whether or not this class is the right fit for you with a mental health professional who is familiar with your experiences. IMPACT is not therapy and is not a replacement for professional mental health care.
How you can help support yourself if you choose to take IMPACT:
- Recognize that the weekend may bring up intense feelings or memories
- Identify your existing support systems, self-care practices, and resources
- Work with a mental health provider and/or trusted friend or family member to plan how you will care for yourself before, during, and after the course
- Connect with an IMPACT Lead Instructor ahead of time to talk through any questions or concerns you may have
- If possible, consider adjusting your schedule to accommodate what might come up for you. For example, some people like to have a therapy session scheduled for the Monday immediately following the course.
Recommended resources and additional support:
For Chicago-specific resources, there are two hotlines that can help connect you to various local social services including counseling and legal support:
Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline: 1-888-293-2080
Chicago Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-877-863-6338
Additionally, we recommend exploring the resources compiled by the Empowerment Self-Defense book Get Empowered at https://www.getempoweredbook.com/need-help.
Finally, IMPACT Chicago’s blog has an extensive range of perspectives on Empowerment Self-Defense, trauma, and healing: https://impactchicago.blogspot.com/.
For Chicago-specific resources, there are two hotlines that can help connect you to various local social services including counseling and legal support:
Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline: 1-888-293-2080
Chicago Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-877-863-6338
Additionally, we recommend exploring the resources compiled by the Empowerment Self-Defense book Get Empowered at https://www.getempoweredbook.com/need-help.
Finally, IMPACT Chicago’s blog has an extensive range of perspectives on Empowerment Self-Defense, trauma, and healing: https://impactchicago.blogspot.com/.