Martial arts programs are effective in teaching self-defense, but many of the techniques involve months or years of training to master. This project focuses on teaching attacks and defensive strategies that are natural movements and require very little training.

The skills are few and easily learned, such as elbow, knee, and palm strikes. They are taught through repetition. In the short span that the curriculum plan allows for instruction, repetition of the basic self-defense skills is essential in order for the learner to effectively replicate them in an actual self-defense situation. The self-defense unit will include training information so that the learner can continue training outside of class, as well as training modification suggestions for mobility impaired learners.