Self Defense Class for Women & Girls ( *trans, nonbinary, and queer folx welcome ).

Sundays, Febuary 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 1-4pm at the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor High School Gym.

This workshop is being taught by Heidi Sproull and Anika Sproull.

Cost for the 12-hour Class : $240 per person. Any additional members of same household may register for $120, a 50% discount for those additional folks. If you want to participate and cannot afford the whole cost, please talk with Heidi about a sliding scale rate. 

This 12-hour boundary setting, personal safety, and self defense class will teach you the basics— and add to existing skills for your personal empowerment. According to the CDC, statistics collected on lifetime reports of sexual assault for women report that more than 50% of women report at least one incidence of sexual violence.

The physical skills taught in the course are derived from jujutsu and judo and are designed to be accessbile. If you have an accessbility question, please reach out to us. These skills are easy to use and easy to remember. This course integrates physical, mental, and verbal self-defense skills through an empowerment-focused and intersectionally-aware lens. Some of the skills you will learn and practice in this class include how to:

Physical Skills: use assertive posture; disable attackers; defend yourself from the ground, in a car, and against multiple attackers; and escape from grabs, chokes, and pins..

Mental Skills: cultivate self-confidence and hone personal power; set boundaries; and use counter strategies against typical attacker tactics.

Verbal Skills: use your voice effectively to yell; use de-esecalation techniques; and employ assertive and direct language to set boundaries.

Heidi Sproull, LMSW, is a trauma specialized psychotherapist who holds a blackbelt in Jujutsu and a brown belt in Judo and has taught self defense for 30 years.  Heidi is a sex educator and the creator and author of INFORMED ADOLESCENCE: Middle School Curriculum with lessons on Teen Resilience, Sexual Health and Boundary Setting & Personal Safety, which will be released by Rowman and Littlefield in March of 2025. 

Anika Sproull, LLMSW, is a crisis response social worker with previous experience as a wilderness therapy field guide. She has been instructing self defense for more than a decade and has competitive judo experience. She has developed and teaches a specialized personal safety curriculum for human service workers. 

Please complete this REGISTRATION FORM with Waiver of Liability and select a payment option. You may also pay by cash or check at the first class - make any checks payable to “Heidi Sproull LLC.” Thank you!