Strategic Living

My daughter took the For Older Teen Girls (15+) class. Joanne’s approach is broadly applicable and empowering. The class isn’t only preparation for the rare scary situation; it is invaluable coaching for all sorts of relationships. Girls learn what counts as a red flag – these can be subtle – and learn to become aware of how they are treated. They learn multiple strategies, both verbal and physical, to assert their power. If all teen girls took a class like this, there would be fewer destructive relationships and more young women who believe in themselves. Many many thanks to Joanne.

Glad I took this class. The instructor covers relevant information far beyond what one thinks of as «the basics». I recommend this class for all women – I am in my 60’s and wish I had known some of this stuff when I was in high school and college. There is way too much sexual harassment of women when they are college students, and often it starts out as seeming like friendly fun – but the fun does not last very long. I was lucky and talked my way out of a stranger rape many years ago – but I later realized that date rape had hurt me because I did not recognize it at the time for what it really was. Verbal coercion is not non-​violent, and the effects go on for awhile. This class prepares a woman for many real situations, and preparation beforehand really helps one to react in a helpful way when things go bad.

I had found this class online & read reviews extensively of this class & others. I was looking for an age-​appropriate class that could benefit my 14year old daughter & my 18 year old niece. I also didn’t want an intensive Karate style class. When I landed on the Strategic Living website, I was impressed by the variety of options & the flexibility offered. After I made the decision to join with my kids, my girlfriends also jumped in. Joanne offered us a private 3 hour session for the ten of us. Our ages ranged from 14 to 50+. ;)
I was very impressed with the style of the class, the topics covered & how well Joanne discussed topics relevant to our collective experiences. It was a great course for all of us & now I can rest easier knowing my kids & friends are capable of protecting/​defending themselves.
Highly recommend! Should be a requirement for all women!

This class was fantastic: superbly practical, forceful without inducing unnecessary fear, the right balance of physical and psychological tools. I dragged myself there because I felt like I «should» do a self-​defense class, and it was actually really fun, too. Joanne’s storytelling made the techniques memorable and relate-​able. After just one 5-​hour workshop, I feel I’m very well-​equipped to prevent an attack and to handle an attack should it come to that. Best money I’ve spent in a long time.

Violence against women is a scary reality, but Joanne’s self-​defense class gave me a little more confidence that I will be able to protect myself (and, more importantly, that I can listen to my intuition and not go into dangerous situations in the first place). This class is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and it would make a great gift for female friends, sisters, daughters, etc.

I took this class at the UW experimental college. I had been looking for a self defense class for a long time and was happy to finally find one that was offered on a weeknight. The cost was reasonable, I believe about 100 $ for 4 sessions. Its a lot of hands on so dress to get down and dirty. Joanne has a lot of great stories and definetely knows a lot about the subject of self defense. Even if you don’t take her class sign up for her newsletter or follow her on facebook to stay informed about your person safety. I also love how her approach doesn’t try to scare you, it merely tells you how to be prepared if a bad situation presents itself. Probably a good idea to do a reminder course every so often like she recommends.

I would highly recommend Strategic Living’s self-​defense for women course taught by Joanne Factor. Having lived in Boston for many years, I consider myself fairly street savvy; however, I have had some scary moments where I would have been in a much better position had I known basic self-​defense. And after completing the course (in Bellevue over the summer), I feel a lot more confident knowing that I have the skills to protect my safety should I encounter sketchy situations in the future.
The moves that Joanne taught me are very easy to do — any woman of any age can do them — and they are highly effective. Also, the course was very hands-​on and practice-​oriented, which made it easier for me to learn and remember the moves so that they’ve become like second nature.
The course also dealt with the psychology of an assailant, what an assailant looks for in a potential victim, and how not to become a target. Joanne’s class is appropriate for women of all ages, but I would especially recommend it for high school and college-​age women.