R-A-W Power is an acronym for Ready-Aware-Willing; what we consider to be three of the most important components of real-world self defense. At R-A-W Power our primary mission is to help people of all ages, fitness levels and abilities learn how to tap into their innate fighting spirit and discover how to effectively “flip the switch” into Save-Your-Life mode during a crisis. The training method is called Adrenal Stress Scenario Training (ASST) and we often refer to it as “the CPR of self defense” because it can be learned in a very short period of time and applied successfully under stressful circumstances.

Our goal is not to develop perfect physical technique in our students, nor do we offer rank or belts to those who participate in this training. Rather, we focus on the skills that will be most useful and necessary to either avoid or survive a potentially dangerous encounter with an assailant and then we train those skills using chaotic, realistic scenarios that are based on the types of assaults people are most likely to encounter.

Using a handful of gross motor movement-based physical skills that hold up well under the stress of adrenaline, combined with verbal boundary setting and de-escalation skills, students have the rare opportunity to use their words, body language and full-force physical skills to train for the chaos that accompanies a real world assault. Whether a student is a practicing martial artist or someone who simply wants to learn everyday safety skills to use in a crisis, most people have questions about how they would truly respond if they were to be verbally confronted or physically assaulted. Parents also want to know that their children possess the skills they need to live safely and make smart choices. R-A-W Power provides a safe and controlled environment in which they can discover the answers they are seeking.

While the full-force physical skills trained against our fully armored mock-assailants (or “muggers” as we generally refer to them) is a unique element of this training method and certainly something that makes the physical training in R-A-W Power far more stressful, realistic and applicable than most traditional martial arts, we feel that at its heart, R-A-W Power is really about empowerment. It’s about finding the courage to say “No!” and mean it, even if you are frightened; it’s about discovering what you are willing to do to ensure your safety and the safety of loved ones in a crisis; it’s about learning what to say and how to say it to avoid a physical altercation, rather than to allow yourself to be baited into a fight; it’s about healing old wounds and empowering yourself with new skills that will ensure that you have a real fighting chance in the future.

In a remarkably short period of time all of this is achievable using this training method. It truly is possible to learn life saving physical techniques and effective verbal boundary setting skills in a matter of hours using ASST. Speaking as an assault survivor myself, I can say with the utmost sincerity that this training method changed my life and allowed me to regain the sense of safety and security that all of us deserve. It also allowed me to discover just how powerful I was, physical, verbally and emotionally. My wish is to share R-A-W Power with any person who wants to live more safely and confidently. Whether your goal is to learn how to defend yourself physically or learn how to be more assertive and confident in your communication, R-A-W Power is here to help you empower yourself!

Meredith Gold, Founder of R-A-W Power