In this introductory podcast, meet host Silvia Smart. Find out why she is considered an expert in the field of self-defense. She'll talk about her background, her education and the experiences that led to this project.
Find out what Smart's mission is in this groundbreaking podcast and what her plans are for future episodes. Discover the important role power dynamics play in the field of self-defense. Join Smart as she shares her thoughts along with research, books, and stories to illustrate her points. Listen along as she lays the groundwork to get us on the same page and build a common language for her listeners.
In this episode, join host Silvia Smart to look at the Continuum of Sexual Assault and Violence. Using this continuum is a way of calling out perpetrator behaviors, identifying them, breaking them down and picking them apart on a scale of intensity. This will give us a common language and a vocabulary during our time together.
The continuum is important because, during all our episodes, we'll be looking at various scenarios and hearing lots of success stories. We can start to place them on this spectrum and see how and where they land. As we build up your self-defense toolkit, we'll identify tools that work especially well on the lower end of the spectrum, some that are key on the farther end and a bunch of stuff in between.
Smart uses two very different self-defense success stories to illustrate what she means and how this works.
In this episode we're going to talk about the Testing Process which is the way perpetrators decide who they are going to choose to assault. This is important because the more we know about how sexual assault and violence works, the safer we are. Period.
In this episode, we are talking about body awareness, trusting yourself and your body, and building that trust. Intuition is our first line of defense! We'll talk about how you can tell when something's not right. How you can tell when someone is testing you or when you are being manipulated and how you can tell when some situation or some person is "off" or creepy or plain 'ole not safe.
If you ae heading off to college or leaving home for the first time as a young adult, this episode is for you. Likewise, if you love a young adult who is spreading their wings and heading out into the world to find adventure, take time to listen and share with them what you learn. Sexual Assault and Dating Violence are huge problems on college campuses and as young adults leave home for the first time. In this episode, which is chock full of information, find out what is really happening and why. Learn simple tools to stay safe and plan wisely. Set yourself up to feel empowered and really enjoy your newfound freedom!
If and when you decide to initiate a physical fighting response get to know and think about the parts of your body you can hit with. Learn about the primary targets and why they are important. If you've already taken an empowerment self-defense class, consider this some good review. If you haven't taken an empowerment self-defense class yet, get yourself to one, but use this episode as your sneak preview!
Meet Marti McCaleb, the Title IX, and Sexual Assault Coordinator at Middlebury College in Vermont. Her background as a sexual violence survivor, a victim's advocate, a lawyer, and a martial artist make her uniquely qualified for this position! Listen in as we discuss the projects she's working on and the successes she's having. Get excellent advice about how to be a good friend to someone who's experienced sexual assault. Find out how best to advocate for safer and more responsive and supportive college campuses. And finally, a plug for more empowerment self-defense classes on college and university campuses around the country and the globe!
In this episode, we're going to talk about VOICE! We'll be talking about HOW we use this important and powerful body weapon – in daily life and in our self-defense. We are going to set ourselves up to use it consciously as a self-defense tool, probably one of the most important tools in our toolkit!
Last episode, we talked all about the voice and the various ways we can use it, hone it and rely on it. Today, I want to talk about the actual words we use and how we can create safety through their application as a self-defense tool. Of all the tools, the voice and our verbal self-defense can go the farthest to prevent unwanted attention and situations. As with all of empowerment self-defense, we're also going to look at the multitude of ways words can impact the quality of our lives and the way we walk through the world, which keeps us safer. I'll give you examples, stories to illustrate the strategies and solid suggestions for practicing so you can get really good at this.
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 10
Learn the secret code that unlocks your empowerment! Find out why a good self-defense class can make you feel more confident, stronger, and freer. In this episode, we start to pick apart the differences between empowerment self-defense programs and other, frankly, not-so-empowering self-defense classes. Our stories and focus are all about preparation and planning, and how a few simple game plans can boost your safety exponentially so you can live your life to the fullest and thrive!
In this episode, we're going to look at the basic facts and statistics of Domestic Violence – sometimes called Intimate Partner Violence – to see how sexual assault and violence in relationships affect various populations. We'll also take a look at the continuum of sexual assault but through this particular lens.
In part two of this series on domestic violence, we look at some of the behaviors of an abusive person. We get specific about warning signs, signals and "red flags". By now you know my philosophy, which is that the more you know, the safer you are. In that spirit, we're going to dig around some unhealthy behaviors and start to pull them apart. It's a lot to listen to and think about, so remember to breathe!
Silvia Smart | Podcast Host
With over three decades of experience teaching self-defense, host Silvia Smart is a sixth-degree black belt and Head Instructor at her martial arts school in Oregon. Smart was recognized for her dedication when the Association of Women's Martial Arts Instructors inducted her into their Hall of Fame class of 2020. Aside from teaching at her school, she brings her compassion and expertise to companies like Nike, The City of Portland, Doc Marten, the FBI, and various non-profits, organizations, private groups, schools, and universities around the country.
Available here on the website and also on most podcast platforms. Search: The Empowerment Podcast by Naga
Production and Editing Credit: Henry Smart-Denson
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