International Association for ESD Professionals

Get Credentialed
Become a member

Tag: Spectrum of safety

Notes on the Journey: On Breaking Boards

2026-03-20

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 and a half session, followed by a three hour Rapid Assault Training class. “Do you want to break a board?” My instructor asked as we were wrapping up for the day. The important part to this story is, I’d already done some drills—in a manner that was at least correct-adjacent—and had successfully been able to remove a fully grown man from on top of me, so breaking

The Power of the Break

2026-03-20

I’ll start by making an admission: I learned everything I know about ESD by teaching it.  What? Well, I created an Empowerment Self Defense curriculum called ASSERT about 20 years ago, before I knew that ESD was already “a thing.” I created it out of necessity. You see, my oldest son was being bullied in middle school (years 5-7 for my international friends.) He had been assaulted and robbed by upper classmen on more than one occasion, and he needed a self-defense class. As a concerned mom, I jumped into action, looking for a program for him.   What I found

Share Your ESD Story

2026-03-20

Your experience can empower others. You’ve overcome challenges as an ESD instructor or student—navigated classroom crises, broke through personal barriers, found your strength. We want your story for the IAESDP “Spectrum of Safety” Editorial Page — a platform where real experiences become teaching tools that transform lives worldwide. Together, we’re building our collective ESD legacy. Selected stories may be included in our upcoming “Spectrum of Safety” anthology. Ready to inspire others? Contact leah@mypwr.app for submission details. Your journey matters. Share it.