Women Empowered®
Content and trigger warning: the following video contains brief images depicting physical harassment, violence and / or physically aggressive altercations of survivors from sexual assaults.
Women Empowered is the official Gracie self-defence program for women based on the techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). In this 15-lesson program, we will teach you how to neutralize the 20 most common attacks ranging from having your hair grabbed to being pinned to the ground by a weapon-bearing assailant. You can start the program at any time and participate in any class without previous experience.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is the perfect self-defence system for women, but only if it is taught correctly. If you’re unsure about learning BJJ for fear of injury, embarrassment, or any other reason, then the Women Empowered program is perfect for you! If you’ve tried BJJ at another school and had a negative experience, give Women Empowered a chance, and we guarantee it will win you back to the mat!
Unlike most self-defence systems that rely heavily on strength, speed, and coordination, the techniques in the Women Empowered program employ leverage, technique, and timing, so anyone, regardless of age or athletic ability, can make them work against larger opponents. Once you complete the Women Empowered program, you may test for promotion to the Women Empowered Pink Belt!
20 Essential Techniques
Law enforcement officials and survivors of sexual assault helped us identify the 20 most common attack strategies that a male assailant is likely to use on a woman. From hair-grabs and choke-holds, to bear hugs and weapon defences, the Women Empowered program covers it all.
The Empowerment Mindset
Beyond the physical techniques, Women Empowered also reinforces awareness principles, risk assessment, and verbal and psychological strategies a woman can use to set safe boundaries with others – even if the perpetrator is someone you know. At the core of this mindset is the belief that you are worth defending!
Step 1: Learn The Techniques
We have divided the 20 Women Empowered techniques into 15 one-hour classes so that you can complete the course at your own pace. We designed each lesson so you can start the program at any time and complete the 15 lessons in any order. Upon enrolling, we will issue you a Women Empowered attendance card on which we will track your progress every step of the way.
Step 2: Develop Your Reflexes
Once you complete each of the 15 Women Empowered lessons once, you will qualify to participate in the Reflex Development (RD) classes where you will learn how to combine the 20 techniques to address the most common occurrences in a real self-defence situation.
Step 3: Earn Your Pink Belt
Once you complete each of the Women Empowered lessons four times, and you’ve completed at least 8 Reflex Development Classes, you are eligible to test for promotion to your Pink Belt!
During this 60-minute test, we will assess your execution of all 20 essential techniques. If your performance meets Gracie University standards, you will qualify for promotion to your Women Empowered Pink Belt. As a Pink Belt, you will be more than ready to move on to the Gracie Combatives program should you choose to continue your Gracie Jiu-Jitsu journey!
What Is The Pink Belt?
As with every program in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (Gracie Combatives, Master Cycle and Gracie Bullyproof) awarding belts is the traditional way to acknowledge individual progress and accomplishment. With the development of the Gracie Women Empowered program, the course featured so many unique strategies, objectives, techniques, and psychology tailored to a special set of circumstances, that the standard Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belt system did not apply. So, Gracie University decided to add an entirely new belt, and since pink was one of the only colours not used in the existing BJJ belt system, the Women Empowered Pink Belt was born!
It not only symbolizes dedication to the techniques of the program, but also an understanding of the philosophy that is essential for survival in life-threatening scenarios. We hope that this reflexive understanding of both the philosophy and techniques will instill confidence in women that reduces their risk of ever becoming a target in the first place. Since the program was created we have watched women dedicate countless hours to earning their Pink Belt, and with every Pink Belt earned, the value and prestige of this belt have become undeniable.
Free Online Access & Satellite Training Privileges
Upon enrolling in the Women Empowered program at any Certified Training Center (CTC)®, you will receive a free subscription to GracieUniversity.com. Through this interactive online platform, you will have access to detailed video instruction on every technique in the course, enabling you to study the lessons on any computer or mobile device 24 hours a day!
Furthermore, all active students at a CTC qualify to train for free at any other Gracie CTC around the world for up to 30 consecutive days per year. Since the curriculum is the same at all CTCs, you will receive credit for every lesson on your Women Empowered attendance card when you return home!
10-Day FREE Trial!
Most Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools limit new students to one free trial class. We offer new students a 10-day FREE trial to all of our beginner group classes. We’re confident that the curriculum, the camaraderie, and the quality of the instruction will exceed all your expectations. We invite you to take advantage of our 10-day FREE trial today!