At Lioness Martial Arts we are committed to providing women with empowerment self-defense instruction and a safe, supportive environment in which to learn. These classes are open to the public, and are held in the East End of Pittsburgh.

Self-Defense for Women (Beginning)

Designed for the novice student, this multi-session course is open to all who identify as women, of all abilities, age 16 and up.

In these classes you will learn a variety options for staying safe -- many of which are non-physical, including awareness skills; avoidance strategies; how to set and maintain strong boundaries; using your intuition, and verbal self-defense techniques.

Students also learn fighting skills, including releases from various holds, and ways to disable an assailant with basic kicks and strikes. Each technique is broken down into easy-to-learn components and practiced safely in class.

Self-Defense for Women (Intermediate)

Additional physical and verbal defenses are covered in these classes. Open to those who have completed the beginning course and wish to continue their self-defense training with us. 

This workshop is designed to give attendees a fast and fun introduction to personal safety. Participants learn common-sense strategies to reduce risk, the power of voice, how to use attitude effectively, and simple but powerful physical techniques. All ages and abilities are welcome!

Participants learn ways to intervene on behalf of another person who is experiencing harassment. This workshop emphasizes personal safety and includes instruction in and practice of various approaches and techniques.

You provide the students and we’ll teach the classes!

Learning self-defense with friends, family, colleagues or classmates can be an especially fun and empowering experience. We will create a custom program or class to meet the specific needs of your group, and that fits your schedule and budget.

Some examples of private classes and the people who choose this option:

• A one-time workshop or comprehensive self-defense course designed just for girls or teens.
  
  
• Self-defense instruction for a group of mothers and their teen or tween daughters
  
  
• Personal safety classes for young women who are about to live on their own for the first time.
  
  
• An active bystander workshop for religious, ethnic or LGBTQ+ groups that may be targets of harassment.
  
  
• A group of women who want to learn self-defense, but can’t make it to our regularly scheduled classes.
  
  
• Any group that wants a small class size, or instruction that is designed especially for them.
  
  

Self-defense instruction is a unique and valuable benefit for organizations large and small. Classes are tailored to meet the particular needs of the organization, and may be women-only or women & men, as appropriate for the group.

Classes are available in beginning through advanced levels; the length and duration of the classes is determined by your organization's needs.

Our clients include:

Alcoa
American Association of University Women
Athleta
Bend the Arc Pittsburgh
CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations)
CAPA (Creative & Performing Arts) School
Carnegie Mellon University
Chatham University
Dickinson College
Dress for Success
EQT Corporation
The Ellis School
Fight the Fear Campaign
GAI Consultants Inc.
Girl Scouts of Western PA
Girl Up
Gwen's Girls
LaRoche College
Limbach Corporation
Redeemer Lutheran School
MBA Women International
Muslim Community Center
Our Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR)
Pittsburgh Young Professionals
PNC
Primary Care Health Services
Rankin Christian Center
Reed Smith
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority
Smith Brothers Agency
South Fayette Middle School
Temple David
UPMC Health System
Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
Vintage Senior Center
The Waldorf School
Winchester-Thurston School
Yeshiva Girls School
Zonta 

Contact us to discuss a program for you!