A Self-Defense Movement Started with One Word: No

How a 12-Year-Old Girl Sparked a Self-Defense Movement

In 2018, I started my very first All-Girls Karate Club.

I’d already been teaching martial arts in after-school programs for over a decade, and I knew firsthand how transformative karate could be for kids. But something shifted the day a quiet girl — we’ll call her Jane — walked into my class.

Jane was reserved. Sweet. The kind of student who kept her head down and followed the rules. But one day, just before class, she came up to me glowing with pride.

“Sensei,” she said, “I said NO to a boy today.”

Curious, I asked her what happened.

She explained that a boy had tried to take her friend’s paper. And for the first time, she stood up and told him no.

I’m sure I said something like, “You go, girl!” or “Look at you!” But inside, I couldn’t stop thinking about her words.

Because for Jane, saying no wasn’t small.

It was everything.

And it got me wondering:If it took everything she had to say no in that moment...What would happen when it really mattered?When the stakes were higher?When it wasn’t about a piece of paper, but about her body, her space, her boundaries?

That one “no” became the spark.

From One Club to a Self-Defense Movement

Jane’s courage opened my eyes to a truth I’d been circling around for years: Empowerment doesn’t just show up when it’s needed. It’s built.Brick by brick.Voice by voice.

That single moment led to the creation of the All-Girls Karate Club — designed to help girls build confidence and assertiveness before they hit the complicated middle school years.

But it didn’t stop there.

As I worked with more girls, I began hearing from their mothers.

They saw how their daughters were changing — becoming more grounded, more vocal, more sure of themselves. And they asked the same question, over and over again:

“Do you have anything like this for women?”

That question became the start of something even bigger: Be Fierce Self-Defense.

A New Kind of Self-Defense

Be Fierce was born from the understanding that traditional self-defense doesn’t go far enough.

It often starts too late — in the moment of confrontation — and focuses only on the physical. But real-life situations are more complex than that. Women are navigating danger and discomfort everywhere — in workplaces, relationships, schools, and homes.

What we needed was a different approach.

Something that helped us:

• Say no with conviction

• Set boundaries without apology

• Speak up even when our voices shake

• Feel empowered not just in danger, but in daily life

That’s what Be Fierce does. And it all began with one girl, one moment, and one powerful little word: No.

Why This Story Matters

At Be Fierce, we don’t just teach physical defense. We teach mental and emotional resilience.We help girls and women learn how to own their space, use their voices, and protect their peace.

Jane’s story is a reminder of what’s at stake — and what’s possible.

Because when someone finds the courage to say no once…They’re building the strength to say no again.And again.And again — until silence is no longer an option.

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