Women's-only self-defence equipment

Dearest friends, 

I'm writing to request your support for our women's only self-defence programming at the gym. 

We run weekly self-defence training for women in the downtown eastside, and I'm very privileged to instruct this class. All students receive a 100% scholarship to attend our classes for free, supported by the in-kind donations of the instructor and the space. We cover everything from boundary setting, grappling, striking, the legalities, and how to believe that you're worth protecting - and more.

We're seeking your investment towards $5,000of new equipment. 

Specifically:

1. High Gear Adaptiv training suit: a police-quality protective suit for training full-contact self-defence techniques including strikes, throws, submissions, and takedowns. Approx. $4600

2. An Everlast boxing body shield: a mobile body protector for boxing training allowing striking to the torso and body. Approx. $300

The remaining funds will be used to secure international shipping, taxes, and customs/duties, and any leftover funds will be put towards subsidizing students at our school. 

Why is this important? 

1. I pride myself in being robust enough to take hits from my students, but there is a limit with regard to the damage I am able to take. I want to be able to continue offering free training for decades to come. 

2. My students are kind, and they balk at applying techniques with full-force. While there are very specific circumstances that call for high-levels of force, it's extremely important to be able to apply those techniques without hesitation and with full-power. If I train students to hesitate because they are afraid of hurting me, I am doing them a disservice should they ever have to use those techniques in real life. They place their love and trust in me to work with their bodies and ensure that techniques are effective, and I can never betray that. 

3. This world conditions women to avoid using strength in the assertion of their boundaries for fear of social or physical consequences. Many of my students have never had the chance to explore their true physical, mental, or emotional power, and to have such an opportunity to a) do so in a safe container, and b) have an opportunity to succeed in doing so can be extremely personally transformative for students. That level of confidence and belief in oneself is WAY more important than learning how to punch. 

4. We're scaling our programs, and I want to offer more training across the city. We stand a very good chance to become a leader in civilian personal safety across the province, and we would be one of the only organizations to possess such equipment. This expands our ability to offer both paid &  pro-bono training. 

Thank you for taking the time to read & reflect on our proposal. No donation is too small, and we're grateful for any and all support whether or not you can contribute financially. 

Best, 

Conlan
Founder, Vancouver Strength Collective