SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS &
SELF-DEFENSE

               NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU BUT YOU

A full-day course that teaches you to see danger coming, talk your way out of it, and defend yourself when you can’t. Built to help and save women.

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Alice, Visit Penticton Team
★★★★★
I would highly recommend the Situational Awareness and Self-Defense course. Last spring, my staff and I attended the class, and it was both informative and eye-opening. Jeff was an excellent instructor, creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. We all left the session feeling empowered and with a fresh set of skills. -Alice
Lyn S.
★★★★★
The MLK Abilities 1-day Situational Awareness and Self-Defense workshop for Women provided excellent information and a personal ability reality check. I was not as strong or as capable as I thought I was. So now my workouts have a purpose and goals. The instruction on what it means to be ''Situationally aware'' armed us with strategies to maintain distance from potential threats and avoid the need for close contact defense. It was a time well spent.
Aicha L.
★★★★★
I attended the women's self-defense training and greatly enjoyed my experience. The course was dynamic, practical, and provided well-explained foundations on what self-defense entails. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to gain confidence, be better equipped, and take back control in situations where action is needed for their safety.
Roxanne. L
★★★★★
MLK's training programs are incredibly well suited for either the commited or the laymen looking to add some knowledge about survival and tactics. I've had the chance to attend some of their courses and greatly appreciated the fact that even in group training, they find the time to do one-on-one teaching. I still consider myself a beginner in the field but I can tell that MLK's knowledge made a huge difference.

Why it matters

The world is less
predictable.
Your response doesn’t have to be.

Most people have never thought about personal safety until something happens.
This course changes that, before it needs to.

 

Awareness is the skill no one teaches, until now.

Threat avoidance doesn’t start with a punch. It starts with reading a room. Noticing a shift in someone’s posture. Choosing the right exit before a situation locks you in. These are skills. They can be taught. They can be practiced.

Most self-defense courses skip straight to physical techniques and miss the 90% of situations that never need to get that far. This course covers all of it — from the moment you walk into an environment to the moment you need to act.

BOOK THE COURSE

14%

In 2023, violent crimes in Canada rose by 14% (Statistics Canada)

17min

A sexual assault happens every 17 minutes in Canada (2015)

82%

Of sexual assault victims are women, and 80% of victims know their aggressor

90%

Of assaults are not reported to the police

The framework

THREE PILLARS
ONE COHERENT SYSTEM

Each module builds on the last. Awareness without de-escalation is incomplete.
De-escalation without a physical foundation leaves you unprepared. Together, they work.

I

👁 Situational Awareness

Read environments. Recognize behavioral warning signs. Understand how threatening situations develop, so you can interrupt the pattern before it escalates.

II

🗣 Verbal De-Escalation

Use tone, language, and positioning to defuse confrontation. The majority of dangerous situations can be resolved without physical contact, if you know how.

III

🛡 Physical Self-Defense

Practical, leverage-based techniques that work regardless of size or strength. Drilled under controlled stress, because real pressure requires practiced responses.

What You’ll Learn

SIX MODULES
ONE FULL DAY

Every skill is immediately applicable. You will practice each one — not just hear about it.

 

✓ Proactive Mindset

The psychology of personal safety — how staying mentally prepared changes your instincts and your decision speed in a real situation.

✓ Threat Recognition

Read body language, identify behavioral indicators, and assess risk in real time — before a situation reaches the point of no return.

✓ Verbal Judo / De-Escalation

Proven verbal strategies and positioning techniques to defuse aggression — the most effective tool in personal safety, used well before physical defense.

✓ Physical Defense Techniques

Simple, high-percentage techniques based on leverage. Effective regardless of your size, strength, or fitness level. Practiced until they're instinctive.

✓ Stress Scenario Drills

Controlled live scenarios that replicate the pressure of a real situation. Your nervous system needs to rehearse — theory alone does not build reliable responses.

✓ Confidence & Composure

Leave with tested, earned confidence — not the kind that disappears under stress. The ability to stay calm and think clearly is itself a trainable skill.

Your Instructor

Operational experience.
Accessible teaching.

JEFF - LEAD INSTRUCTOR

Jeff was born and raised in France, where he developed strong situational awareness and self-defense skills from a young age while growing up in challenging urban environments. These experiences built a strong protective instinct, adaptability, and the ability to read people and situations quickly. Later, working in security and as a bouncer gave him direct insight into how threats behave, escalate, and operate in real environments. His military exposure, including special forces selection environments, along with years of martial arts training, strengthened his understanding of stress response, body mechanics, and mental resilience under pressure. He now uses this combined experience to deliver practical training designed to equip women with awareness, tools, and confidence to navigate both public spaces and online environments more safely and effectively.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

COMMON
QUESTIONS.

None at all. The course is built for all backgrounds and fitness levels. Techniques are grounded in leverage, timing, and awareness, not strength or athleticism. If you can walk and follow instruction, you will leave with skills you can use.
 
The course is 100% Women only and $1 to $5 from every registration is donated directly to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter 
 
Comfortable clothing you can move in and closed-toe shoes. All training equipment is furnished, no gear needed on your end. Bring your lunch and water bottle with it.
 
Yes, group and workplace bookings are a great use of this course. We can tailor the program to your team’s specific context and bring the training directly to your location or facility. Contact us for group pricing and availability.
Open enrollment courses rotate across BC. Subscribe to the MLK newsletter for early access to new dates as they are announced. Private group sessions can be held at your location.
 

BE READY
BEFORE YOU
NEED TO BE.

Awareness is a skill. Confidence is a skill. De-escalation is a skill.
All three are teachable, and this is where you learn them.

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