The Strong Side: A Bold New Step in Violence Prevention in Football The International Association of ESD Professionals (IAESDP) is proud to launch The Strong Side—a powerful new violence prevention initiative in football that brings the life-changing tools of Empowerment…
ESD News
Blog page excerpt here. Even trees need a friend. We all need friends. It all happens automatically. We want to use a lot pressure while using no pressure at all. Let's get crazy. All you have to learn here is how to have fun.
Notes on the Journey: Breaking the Board
Notes on the Journey: On Breaking Boards You don’t fear the raging river. You are the raging river. The first time I broke a board was after I’d already been on the mat for several hours—our regular Saturday afternoon hour…
From Celebration to Tragedy — What the Paris Violence Teaches Us About Prevention
From Celebration to Tragedy — What the Paris Violence Teaches Us About Prevention Urgant Call for Violence Prevention in Football The recent tragedy that unfolded in Paris—where two people were killed and hundreds injured or arrested following Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA…
Announcement: Groundbreaking Research Collaboration with Johns Hopkins University
IAESDP Announces Groundbreaking Research Collaboration with Johns Hopkins University Creating Milestones in Violence Prevention through Empowerment Self Defense The International Association of Empowerment Self Defense Professionals (IAESDP) is thrilled to share that we are in the final stages of developing…
Post-Yates: 3 Fan-Safety Moves MLS Clubs Still Haven’t Made
Post-Yates: 3 Fan-Safety Moves MLS Clubs Still Haven’t Made A Call to Change: Fan-Safety Must be Treated as a Priority Since the release of the 2022 Yates Report, which exposed widespread safeguarding failures in U.S. Soccer, reforms have focused heavily…
Confronting Structural Violence: The Gérard Depardieu Case and the Imperative for Systemic Change
Confronting Structural Violence: The Gérard Depardieu Case and the Imperative for Systemic Change Empowerment Self-Defense Professionals stress urgent action against rising violence and discrimination The recent conviction of French actor Gérard Depardieu for sexual assault marks a pivotal…
Notes on the Journey: Sometimes Violence is the Answer
Notes on the Journey: Sometimes Violence is the Answer What is Violence? I grew up believing, like most of us I believe, that violence is a physical act that harms another. And, most importantly, the belief that it can only…
A Commitment to Ethical Practice and Collaboration in Empowerment Self Defense
Official statement: A Commitment to Ethical Practice and Collaboration in Empowerment Self Defense The International Association of Empowerment Self Defense Professionals (IAESDP) believes deeply in fostering an environment built on trust, collaboration, and mutual respect. We recognize and honor the…
Notes on the Journey: Self Defense as Self Sovereignity
Notes on the journey: Self Defense as Self Sovereignty A practice of embodiment, empowerment, and sovereignty “How would you feel about becoming a self defense instructor?” The question came eight months into my martial arts practice. Within that time, I…
ESD Anthology – Spectrum of Safety: I Challenge You to a Duel
ESD Anthology – Spectrum of Safety: I Challenge You to a Duel It was a bad time for our family. The divorce was past, but the control issues were still very much in the present. I was anxious, depressed, doubting…