Alive & Kicking Self Defense

	Dominique Allen I’m a diehard San Franciscan who has taught self defense for nearly a decade, first with the Women’s Safety Project and now with Alive and Kicking. I’d look forward to teaching you. What a kick!
	Holly Baldwin I have been a member of Alive & Kicking (formerly Women Defending Ourselves) since 1994. As a recent board member, I work to make our goal—ending violence against women—a reality. As an instructor, I enjoy working with other teachers to tailor each class to best meet students’ particular needs, be they teens, women of color, or survivors. I love helping women discover how strong and powerful they are! My training includes WDO’s comprehensive Teacher Training, along with their advanced course focused on multiple assailants and weapons, and 40-hour programs offered by the Support Network for Battered Women and the Mid-Peninsula YWCA’s rape crisis center. For my day job, I work as an attorney in San Francisco, and am experienced in representing disadvantaged individuals and communities in civil rights, employment, and other litigation, including advocating for women, racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, prisoners, and people with disabilities. In my spare time, I serve on the Berkeley Law Foundation board of directors, which funds innovative public interest law projects locally and nationally.
	Kirsten Daehler I believe it's all about living life to its fullest! That’s why I teach with Alive and Kicking. Since 1994, I’ve trained dozens of self-defense instructors and worked with hundreds of women and girls (including my own daughters) to develop their personal strengths. In particular, I delight in teaching teens, seniors, and mother-daughter combos. For my “day job” I work at an educational nonprofit where I consult with school districts across the country and support classroom science teachers to improve their craft.
	Susannah MacKaye I consider violence prevention my life’s work. I began teaching self-defense in 1984 and was a founding member of Women Defending Ourselves (now Alive and Kicking). Later I became a long-term instructor with the Women’s Safety Project, and served as President of the WDO board. In 1996, I earned a Master’s of Social Work from the University of Maryland, and for my practicum at the District of Columbia Rape Crisis Center, I focused on therapy that used self-defense instruction as a healing tool. After that I served as a psychiatric counselor at the San Francisco County Jail, and a program director at the Teen Mom’s Shelter—a shelter supporting pregnant and parenting girls who have experienced violent relationships. I currently work as a psychiatric social worker in East Oakland, providing services to people with severe and persistent mental illness. In addition to my self-defense teaching, I have also trained in Tae Kwon Do karate since 1994 and I serve on the board of the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists. Over the years I have taught more than 500 women and girls from coast to coast in the U.S., and most recently trained instructors in Nairobi, Kenya, assisting in the formation of an anti-rape project called I’m Worth Defending. My goal in all my endeavors is for participants to come out with the knowledge that they are worth defending and the confidence that, yes, they can fight back!
	Kellea Miller I am an avid women's rights activist, traveler, self-defense instructor, and general adventurer. After a three-year stint working at the Global Fund for Women, I took a cross-country bike trip with my dad before starting a PhD in Sociology. I began teaching women's self-defense in 2005, after taking classes with Alive & Kicking (formerly Women Defending Ourselves). As a young queer woman, I give particular attention to the way different identity categories—such as race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender and mobility—affect the violence people face. I love A&K's holistic approach to self-defense as a way of leading a whole, healthy life every day. My two favorite self-defense techniques are the palm strike and the assertiveness phrase, “You are worth defending!”
	Lydia Olsen Hi All! I'm Lydia Olsen and I am an instructor for Alive and Kicking! Having taken other self-defense and street-smart classes, I truly believe in THIS organization's philosophy. I’ve watched the results. There is no better feeling than seeing a student surprised at the power of her voice when doing a yell. I get excited when a woman’s strength and confidence shine through! EDUCATION: I have a BS degree in Criminal Justice, an AA in Liberal Arts, an AS in Law Enforcement and a minor in Sociology. In 2005, I took my first class from Women Defending Ourselves, followed by the Instructor training in early 2006. EMPLOYMENT: After putting myself though college, I became a Sheriff's Technician for the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau, where I have worked for 8 years as a Forensic Autopsy Technician. Previously I worked as a barber for more than 22 years. HOBBIES: I earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the Korean Martial Arts Center in San Francisco and eventually became their event coordinator. Recently, I’ve taken up beading, making bookmarks and woodcarving. Hope to teach you soon!
	Julie Woulfe Ever since I took my first self-defense class, I’ve delighted in using what I learned to explore my own needs and communicate effectively with others. In 2006, as a Violence Prevention Educator at a local rape crisis center, I began teaching with Alive and Kicking. This work taught me that non-violence starts with finding ways to meet our physical and emotional needs. More recently, I’ve worked with the East Bay Community Recovery Project, a substance abuse recovery organization. At the moment I’m earning a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Carpe Diem.

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