Whether you’re a Miami native, fresh in from another city or you come from a place considered“safe,” the disheartening reality of violence and harassment toward women has no regional limits. In response, many women are turning to reenvisioned methods of self-defense, working with empowerment and action rather than the traditional narrative that can instill fear and passivity.
Miami’s Movement
In Miami-Dade County alone, women account for 73% of domestic violence victims, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. This tragic statistic reflects a disheartening reality for women’s safety and gender-based violence. Taking reformational steps, local organizations and communities have benchmarked initiatives for women to reclaim their confidence.
Across Miami, self-defense courses and programs have adopted a nuanced approach, shifting from common intimidating rhetoric to uplifting incentives. Providing self-defense strategies across education, physical training, and personal empowerment, our very own local networks in Miami are quickly rising with opportunities to help women navigate these threats and develop liberating experiences. For instance, colleges campaign for more rigid safety protocols and accessibility to resources that are active within our very own University of Miami.
The Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) program at UM follows such standards, operating as both an educational measure and a support system for students of all ages and abilities. The Basic RAD program covers the fundamental principles of self-defense in a nine-to-twelve-hour course, each class sectioned into three hours. The Basic RAD course lays the groundwork through open discussions and lectures and wraps up with hands-on exercises.
After completing this program, participants have the option to further strengthen their new skillset with the 20-hour “Advanced RAD” course. The Advanced RAD course further expands upon self-defense techniques, fully concentrating on the physical aspects of various situations such as defense against edged weapons, ground fighting and firearms defense.
Student Voices
UM students Ellie Gerow and Elizabeth Agurto shared how taking self-defense classes impacted their perspectives on safety and empowerment.
Gerow, who participated in a group self-defense course for her birthday, shared how her understanding of self-defense shifted after realizing “this was something more than just learning how to hit someone or just fighting back.”
“Learning how to use an attacker’s strength against them seemed impossible to us at first,” Gerow said. “To break that mindset, they had us start with a different challenge. We learned how to break a wooden board, and it felt so rewarding to know I had more strength than I expected when I learned how to use my body the right way.”
For Agurto, the decision to attend a class came from her long-standing interest in self-defense. She wanted to familiarize herself with a new essential skill set and to take a proactive step before a summer stay in a new city.
“Just like learning how to cook, self-defense is a basic skill set you need to learn,” said Agurto. “Pepper spray and tasers, they go a long way, but when you don’t have that and you’re left by yourself, you want to know what to do.”
Recognizing her anxieties about exploring unknown territories, she used her fears as incentives to explore effective solutions and demonstrate active prevention.
“I was about to move there,” she said. “I wanted to be as well-prepared as possible in a new area that I wasn’t super familiar with.”
After seeing UM was leading a free self-defense class, Agurto and her friend took the opportunity to strengthen their awareness on and off campus, learning essential strategies from professionals.
Stressing that the class “really empowers people to be more vigilant,” Agurto said, “Even just on campus or going to the grocery store, if you’re not aware of your surroundings, you can easily become a victim, so it’s really important for people to be aware of their surroundings — and that means staying off the phones sometimes.
Lifelong Skills
A core objective of self-defense courses underscores our ability to be aware. Having the knowledge to recognize and identify situational threats in various spaces like work, school or home is a crucial safeguard. Even integrating small habits into our daily routines, such as observing passing cars, walking in well-lit areas and keeping eyes on your surroundings rather than distractions, can be imperative in improving awareness and avoiding unexpected emergencies that require a physical response.
If you’re like me and moved from a quiet, small town to Miami’s bustling metropolis, you may have been routinely reminded by friends and family back home to “be careful of your surroundings” and to “stay aware— you’re a target.” More than just easing your mind with a self-defense class, you can reward yourself with an empowering and possibly life-saving experience while channeling your confidence and capabilities to their full potential.
words_karly rae lieblong.illustration_faith jimenez.design_jay moyer.
This article was published in Distraction’s Winter 2025 print issue.
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