Self-Defense
Meet other local people interested in Self-Defense: share experiences, inspire and encourage each other! Join a Self-Defense group.
386
members
6
groups
Largest Self-Defense groups
Newest Self-Defense groups
Centurion Self Defense and Wellness Event
6 Members
Self Defense Group That Everyone Can Join
32 Members
Glen Ellyn Martial Arts, Self Defense & Fitness Meetup Group
29 Members
SD Guardian Angels: Community Protection Dare to Care
31 Members
SAFE Families of CO
21 Family Members
FMA Exchange (FMAX)/ Arnis-Kali / self-defense fitness SOCAL
267 Members
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out self-defense events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the self-defense events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find self-defense events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Self-Defense Events Today
Join in-person Self-Defense events happening right now
Free Self-Defense Class – Maryland Systema (Takoma Park)
**✅ First class is FREE – only 10 spots available!**
Learn real self-defense skills in a small-group setting. No experience needed, open to all adults.
📲 RSVP now and text Jim at **301-326-9146** to confirm—once spots are gone, they’re gone.
***
## **Free Intro Self-Defense Class – Maryland Systema**
Want to learn how to protect yourself while also improving your health, focus, and confidence?
Join us for a free first class at **Maryland Systema**, a unique approach to self-defense that blends both physical and mental training.
***
### **Why This Class is Different**
Unlike most programs that only teach physical moves, Systema trains your body **and** your mind. You’ll explore:
* **Structure** – staying balanced under pressure
* **Breathing** – keeping calm and controlling fear
* **Relaxation** – avoiding panic and wasted energy
* **Movement** – adapting naturally to any situation
You’ll also learn to read an attacker’s intentions and respond proportionately—aligned with Maryland’s self-defense laws.
***
### **What You’ll Gain**
✔ Practical skills you can use right away
✔ Better stress control and awareness
✔ Improved strength, mobility, and coordination
✔ Confidence in handling real-world situations
***
### **Class Info**
📍 **Location:** Dance Exchange, Takoma Park (free parking)
🕒 **Length:** 1.5 hours
👥 **Small Group:** Max 10 students for personalized guidance
👖 **What to Wear:** Comfortable long pants and clothes you can move in
💵 **Cost:** Free for first-time students
***
### **How to Join**
RSVP here on Meetup to save your spot, then text Jim at **301-326-9146** to confirm.
Spots are limited—once the group fills, we close registration.
***
**Maryland Systema**
Real-world self-defense training for adults—helping you stay ready, stay calm, and stay safe.
The Tantric Vision for World Peace
Tantra is a special inner science that teaches how we can change our mind, ourself and our life. Although the idea of Tantra is very popular these days, many people misunderstand its real meaning and so it is often misused. In reality, Tantra is a very special practice that harnesses the power of our imagination and the power of Buddha’s blessings to quickly lead us to a state of permanent peace and happiness. The profound Tantric practices show us how to overcome the limiting views of ourselves, others, and the world around us that give rise to fear, anxiety, and other painful thoughts. Tantra helps us create positive energy and wisdom through special meditations that lead us quickly to enlightenment. This series is open to everyone and in particular provides a great opportunity to prepare those who wish to receive Highest Yoga Tantra Empowerments.
March 5: What is Tantra?
March 12: Liberating the Imagination
March 19: Our Blissful Potential
March 26: Channels, Chakras & Mantras
**REGISTRATION**
Standard: $12 \| Financial Hardship: $6 \| Free for [Members](https://meditation-dc.org/membership/)
[Pre-Register Here](https://meditation-dc.org/thursday-evenings/)
Each class is available by drop in. Everyone is welcome to attend, no previous experience is required.
**LOCATION**
Kadampa Meditation Center DC
1200 Canal St\. SW \| Washington\, DC 20024
**Metro Stop:** Waterfront or Navy Yard
3 mile run in N. Kensington
We start our new run on the intersection of Woodson Ave. and Soward Dr. promptly at 6:05pm. There is street parking on Soward and Woodson. This route will take us through the Rock Creek Palisades Neighborhood near Albert Einstein High School.
STARTING AND ENDING POINT
http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/7/d/9/600_457062969.jpeg
FULL ROUTE:
http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/7/e/7/600_457062983.jpeg
Hacking the Stack: Using OpenSearch Dashboards as an Application Framework
**Agenda:**
* 6-6:30 pm: Networking and food/drinks
* 6:30-7:15 pm: Announcements and presentation
* 7:15 pm-7:30 pm: Q&A and close-out
**Hacking the Stack: Using OpenSearch Dashboards as an Application Framework**
Most developers treat OpenSearch Dashboards (OSD) strictly as a visualization layer—a place for charts and graphs. They are missing the bigger picture. OSD is a powerful, untapped environment for full-stack application development. In this session, we peel back the architecture of **an enterprise-grade risk, compliance, and security platform built entirely *on top of* OSD**. We moved beyond simple plugins and pushed OSD to its limits to create a seamless, interactive application experience.
Join us for a deep dive into the engineering reality of the OpenSearch stack, including:
* **The Analysis:** Why the OpenSearch stack beat out the competition.
* **The Build,** **Beyond Visualization:** How to implement custom React components to build complex workflows and interactive UIs within OSD.
* **The Integrations:** Integrating Wazuh for agent management and ingesting data at scale.
* **The “Gotchas”:** Honest, real-world lessons on data handling, state management, and what to look out for.
**If you are ready to push your plugins from “reporting tools” to “robust software,” do not miss this session!**
Meditation Class: Unwind the Mind
Thursdays at 6:30pm
Take 30 minutes at the end of your day to unwind and connect to your potential for inner peace. Suitable for everyone, these meditation classes offer guided meditations and practical advice for improving the quality of our mental peace.
**Registration**
Each class is available by drop in. **Standard:** $5 **\| [Member Pricing:](https://meditation-dc.org/membership/) Free**
[Register Here](https://meditation-dc.org/thursday-night-rest-and-reflect/) Everyone is welcome to attend, no previous experience is required.
**LOCATION**
Kadampa Meditation Center DC
1200 Canal St\. SW \| Washington\, DC 20024
**Metro Stop:** Waterfront or Navy Yard
Self-Defense Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
DC Kali's Beginner & Advanced Class - Saturday Meetup
Covid Alert:
We will start having classes again at Canal Park on Wednesdays and the dojo on Saturdays. Please bring your own hand sanitizer, and a mask are a must! We'll practice from a safe distance from each other; and progress from there. On Saturdays, class is limited to the first 5 persons to rsvp (until further notice)
"DC Kali" is an official training group for FCS Kali. Our curriculum includes knifes, swords, stick-fighting, striking, and grappling; but we place a special emphasis on edged weapons. Please come out and learn some Kali. Our aim is to train hard, learn some sound defense strategies, and make friends along the way. Although FCS Kali is a combat-oriented systems that involves edged weapons, we provide a safe environment for learning w/o sacrificing realism in our training. We teach in small semi-private groups, allowing each individual student to progress as quickly as he or she can absorb the info being taught. Hope to see you all there.
Mosi K. Jack, Esq. Training Group Instructor
· FCS Manong (under Tuhon Ray Dionaldo) http://www.fcskali.com/ )
Filipino Combat Systems is an organization dedicated the preservation and promotion of all Filipino Martial Arts. Filipino Combat Systems(FCS) is an organization/system with members from around the world. FCS is based on Tuhon Ray Dionaldo's over 35 years of practicing various FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) styles. He's combine elements of each, into one system that's efficient, fast, concise, and logical. FCS members have extremely diverse backgrounds, and Martial Arts systems. We’ve all come together because of our love of the Filipino Martial Arts, and our unwillingness to become involved in the politics that has so often stifled our growth.
Please pick one of the following class and fee combos:
Drop-In Fee: $25/per class (after 1st free Saturday class)
Monthly fees: $80/month (Wednesday park classes included for free), or
Quarterly fees: $210/every 3 months (which comes to $70/month; includes the Wednesday park classes), or
Wednesday Park only: $50/month • Cash and Paypal are preferred method of payment (online payments via Square are available at: https://squareup.com/market/dc-kali )
• One free trial class is permitted (but must rsvp ahead of class) •
Equipment: if you have training knives, rattan sticks, training swords, and/or mma gloves bring them. If not, we may have a few extra.
Training Videos http://www.fcskaliphilippines.com/fcs-curriculum-videos.html http://www.bloodnbonesgear.com/id5.html
Learn Heart based Group Meditation on Sundays in MD
Discover the path to stress management, life's tranquility, and self-improvement through Heartfulness Meditation. Embrace relaxation, meditation, and emotional detoxification practices to unlock your best self. Join our free sessions every Sunday at 8 AM and Wednesday at 7 / 7:30 PM at various centers in MD and VA. Experience the profound benefits of these simple yet powerful practices. Commit to a few months of meditation and witness the transformative impact firsthand. We eagerly await your presence at these enlightening sessions.
Evolving Self: From Reaction to Intention
**Shift from autopilot to conscious choice!**
This session is designed to help you move beyond reactive patterns and step into intentional living. Through mindfulness, emotional awareness, and reflective exercises, you'll uncover the habits that keep you stuck and learn how to respond to life with clarity and purpose. It's a journey from unconscious reaction to empowered intention.
Key Takeaways:
o Recognize and interrupt reactive behaviors
o Cultivate emotional awareness and regulation
o Develop tools for intentional decision-making
o Align actions with values and inner truth
Saturday, March 14th, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM. Held at the Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/V1luA](https://shorturl.at/V1luA)
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Self-Defense Workshop for Women & Teen Girls
**Cost: $35 through March 8 ($45 after). Use discount code MEETUP and save an additional $10.**
Register at:
https://cp.mystudio.io/e/?=JingYing/3031/794969//1771177535
A focused **self‑defense workshop for women & teen girls**. Proceeds go to **Maryland Therapeutic Riding**.
Training includes:
* **Avoidance** — staying safe and aware
* **Escape** — getting out of dangerous situations
* **Fighting Back** — simple, effective defensive moves
From a grateful mom:
“Your workshop helped my daughter escape an attempted abduction.”
Co‑ed college class offered in July/August; private group sessions available. Registration for the self-defense workshop is also available at https://jingying.org/Chinese_New_Year.htm
Jack Ryan Morning Communte (~16 miles)
A few years back, Amazon created a new TV show about the Tom Clancy character Jack Ryan. Somewhat infamously, [Jack Ryan's Morning Commute](https://dcist.com/story/18/09/04/jack-ryans-commute-to-work-makes-ab/) makes no sense. So this walk is inspired by the route he should've taken
Part 1 (9.5 miles) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/2pmXJaixbXQxnvfv8
1\. Foggy Bottom metro
2\. Potomac Boat club
3\. Chain Bridge
4\. Potomac Heritage Trail
5\. Turkey Run Trailhead
Part 2 (\~2 miles)
6\. Turkey Run Trail \- https://www\.trailforks\.com/trails/turkey\-run\-trail\-759628/
7\. Langley Fork Trail \- https://www\.trailforks\.com/trails/langley\-fork\-trail/
Part 3 (4 miles) - [https://maps.app.goo.gl/4n54jMK1q2xbefix5](https://maps.app.goo.gl/4n54jMK1q2xbefix5)
8\. McLean Metro
**Millage:** \~16.0 miles
**Start Location:** Foggy Bottom Metro Station
**End Location:** McLean Metro Station
**Time:** 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
**Terrain:** This will be have a solid amount of uphill (\~700 feet) elevation gain) with a mix of paved, gravel, and trail surfaces
Sunday Skate with The Washington Area Roadskaters!
Join us as The Washington Area Roadskaters lead you on a different adventure every week, skating through and around our Nation's Capital!
For current details, check Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WashingtonAreaRoadskaters/events
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/weareskatedc/
We hope to see you soon!
Soccer Zero
Be there or get chubby. You decide.
https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/b/7/2/600_364811122.jpeg
RSVPs are required. The reason is that it should increase your own enjoyment. You see, the ideal number of players for a pickup soccer game is perhaps 6x6 - 8x8; some players won't attend if they think the turnout will be low, and others will just assume the game will be cancelled even though we always play. (As a practical matter, smaller games are less fun since the comics won't have the audience they need, but, they do have two hidden benefits: shorter, more intense games/workouts and fewer face kicks/yellow cards. So we play no matter how small or large.) So non-RSVPers are a little short sighted, since they don't seem to want to maximize their own enjoyment in the long run. Rational and sane players who have a good chance of attending RSVP a week early both here and at https://meetup.com/dcsoccer , the parent soccer group.
Self-Defense Events Near You
Connect with your local Self-Defense community
How to Get Over Losses and Betrayls & Build Lasting Relationships
Join us for this free, in person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships.
Do you want more motivation and confidence to build lasting relationships?
Are you burdened by a stressful relationship?
Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse.
Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well.
Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship.
Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action?
Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships!
Break free from self imposed limitations
Here we will discuss:
• How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes.
• Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you?
• Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it?
• Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love?
• Fights & arguments - what's really behind them?
• What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others?
• How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change?
• Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them?
• How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about?
• How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career?
Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general.
Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person.
Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life.
We look forward to having you join us!
This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.
Fundamentals: by do Jung Ishu/ the art of fighting
We are a real world Martial arts group. \
Called DO JUNG ISHU (the art of fighting) \
Based off of Jeet kune do we just continued where Bruce Lee left off. \
We have been around a while. \
We are donation based.
Every week we get together and work technical skills and live pressure testing. \
Almost all of the instructors have been in everything from altercations in the real world to the ring and some still compete in the cage. \
If you want to take your skills up, improve your confidence, gain self defense skills, get in better shape, test yourself or just want to kill some time and possibly get hit a bit come on down. \
We will be located at 3923 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214 inside the whetstone rec center in the auditorium, upstairs in classroom B or outside in the grass between the playground and horseshoe area. our instructors are normally in a black and red art of fighting shirt \ if you can not find us call or text me at 6143570295
Saturday 1pm Wednesday 5:30pm
From Age 16 and up. attendees under the age of 18 must have a guardian with them. \
\
You must have a free leisure card for the rec center and must be registered for our class specifically .\
Wear workout clothing \
Bring a MOUTHPIECE! \
WE HAVE GLOVES. \
Hope to see you soon :-).\
We are run off of donations. \
let me know if you have any questions :)
Free In-Person Event: Handle Self-Confidence & Motivation to Achieve Your Goals
This is an in-person meeting.
Would you like to know the Real You, not just a shadow of yourself? Does your life energy feel somehow trapped within? Does your self-confidence get easily shaken? Do you get in the way of your own goals? We will discuss the real source of all this, what holds you back in life, and how to handle it so you can achieve more successful and happier living.
Perhaps you get weighed down with negative emotions you can't seem to shrug off. Or find yourself doing strange and irrational things - not really being yourself. We will cover why that is and tools that work to help you unearth your self, your self-confidence and motivation.
This meeting will help you learn about how to effectively overcome:
-Out-of-control unwanted emotions
-Low self-esteem
-Anxiety
-Negativity
-Stress
-Irrational fears
-Traumatic or painfully emotional incidents
-Breakups
-Betrayals
-Feeling like you're not really yourself
-Self-doubt...
We will discuss how to unleash the inner you and tap into your true potential. So come to this online meetup!
This meeting is sponsored by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Central Ohio
Ohio Fight club
We are a real world Martial arts group. \
Called DO JUNG ISHU (the art of fighting) \
Based off of Jeet kune do we just continued where Bruce Lee left off. \
We have been around a while. \
We are donation based.
Every week we get together and work technical skills and live pressure testing. \
Almost all of the instructors have been in everything from altercations in the real world to the ring and some still compete in the cage. \
If you want to take your skills up, improve your confidence, gain self defense skills, get in better shape, test yourself or just want to kill some time and possibly get hit a bit come on down. \
We will be located at 3923 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214 inside the whetstone rec in the auditorium, center upstairs in classroom B or outside in the grass between the playground and horseshoe area. our instructors are normally in a black and red art of fighting shirt \ if you can not find us call or text me at 6143570295
Saturday 1pm Wednesday 5:30pm
From Age 16 and up. attendees under the age of 18 must have a guardian with them. \
\
You must have a free leisure card for the rec center and must be registered for our class specifically .\
Wear workout clothing \
Bring a MOUTHPIECE! \
WE HAVE GLOVES. \
Hope to see you soon :-).\
We are run off of donations. \
let me know if you have any questions :)
Free in Person Meeting - Get Over Losses and Betrayls
Do you want more motivation and confidence to build Lasting Relationships?
This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships.
Are you burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse.
Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well.
Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship.
Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action?
Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships!
Break free from self imposed limitations
Here we will discuss:
• How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes.
• Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you?
• Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it?
• Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love?
• Fights & arguments - what's really behind them?
• What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others?
• How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change?
• Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them?
• How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about?
• How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career?
Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general.
Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person.
Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life.
Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there.
This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center.
Using Philosophy to Cope with Current Events
So this month's prompt is more general. I think we can all agree that we are living in "unique" times that require coping skills. I think that one role and/or purpose of philosophy is to help us deal with our daily lives and our "unique" times. So, let's share our feelings and thoughts about which philosopher/philosophy we turn to in order to deal with our crazy events. Who/what helps you stay focused in your daily life and helps you sleep at night. I find that Stoicism with a little philosophical pessimism mixed in goes a long way in helping me deal with what I see as very destructive, fearful and mean spirited public policies at both the state and federal levels. Hope to see you on March 28th!
Shut Up & Write!® East Side Columbus
Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, March 25 at Streetlight Guild.
Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done.
**SCHEDULE:**
6:45ish - Quick introductions
7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour
8:00 - The End
**OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing.
**BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer.
Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild!
**WHAT SHOULD I BRING?**
Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you!
**OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:**
* **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space!
* **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels.
* **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay!
* **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.


























