Women's Self-Defense · 6-Week Course · Riverside, CA
Women's Self-Defense at Flow Academy BJJ Riverside is a 6-week course, led by Coach Zaide, that teaches women practical skills: awareness, setting boundaries, using your voice, escaping grabs and holds, and getting back to your feet. It is coming soon on Saturdays (time to be announced) at 10081 Indiana Ave, Suite A-1, Riverside, CA, and no experience is needed. Join the waitlist for our next free seminar.
What you'll gain
Self-defense is not about living afraid. It's about knowing you have options. This course builds the awareness to notice trouble early, the voice to set a boundary, and the physical skills to break free and get to safety, all taught step by step in an encouraging room where every question is welcome.
If you ever end up on the ground, you'll know what to do: protect yourself, make space with your hips and legs, and stand back up. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was built for exactly this, using leverage and technique instead of size and strength.
Notice what is around you, trust your instincts, and keep a comfortable distance. You will practice setting a clear boundary with your posture and your voice.
Calm, firm words can stop many situations before they start. You will practice what to say, how to say it, and when the strongest choice is simply to leave.
Wrist grabs, bear hugs, and holds from behind: you will learn simple, leverage-based escapes and practice them with a partner at a pace that feels right.
Technique, angles, and timing matter more than size, so these skills are made for women of every build, age, and fitness level.
Practicing these skills changes how you walk into a parking lot, a new job, or a hard conversation. Confidence built on practice is the real thing.
In a safe, supportive room you learn to breathe and think while a partner holds on, so stress becomes something you can work through.
Every session moves your whole body, building strength, mobility, balance, and cardio, all scaled to your level.
You learn alongside other women who cheer each other on, laugh through the hard parts, and leave every session a little stronger.
We keep this course positive. You won't hear scare tactics here. The focus is on what you can do: notice, speak up, move, escape, and get help.
Each week builds on the last. Showing up, practicing until it clicks, and trying again after a miss builds a resilience that reaches well beyond the mat.
Six weeks gives you a real foundation. Keep practicing and those skills stay sharp, and Women's Jiu-Jitsu on Tuesday nights is there if you want to keep training.
What a session looks like
Every session follows a clear, relaxed rhythm, and each week builds on the last. Here is the general flow; Coach Zaide shapes it to the group.
Come about 10 minutes early. Coach Zaide will greet you, explain what to expect, and help you feel at home.
Light movement and mobility, plus safe ways to fall and move on the mat.
Short, practical lessons on awareness, setting boundaries, and calm, firm words, practiced out loud with a partner.
Coach Zaide demonstrates a skill, such as breaking a grip, escaping a hold, or getting up from the ground, and breaks it into simple steps.
You practice with a partner in a controlled, cooperative way. There is no pressure and no rough sparring.
Each session ends with time for questions and a quick review of what you learned.
Who leads it
Zaide Oropesa · Black Belt · Women's Program Lead, Flow Academy
Women's Self-Defense is led by Coach Zaide (Zaide Oropesa), a Black Belt and Flow Academy's Women's Program Lead. She leads Flow's women's program in Riverside and at our academy in Indio, and she is passionate about building strong, confident women.
Her sessions are structured, respectful, and focused on empowerment. Every technique is shown slowly and scaled to your comfort level, so you always work at a pace that feels safe.
Two ways to train
Women's Self-Defense and Women's Jiu-Jitsu work best together. One gives you practical skills, the other keeps you training every week.
Practical self-defense led by Coach Zaide: awareness, boundaries, your voice, escaping grabs and holds, and getting back to your feet. The course is coming soon on Saturdays (time to be announced). Start by joining the waitlist for our next free seminar.
Join the Free Seminar WaitlistAn ongoing, women-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class for women and girls 10+, taught by Professor Zaide. Week after week you build the technique, strength, and confidence that make your self-defense skills second nature.
See Women's Jiu-JitsuHonest answers
Trying something new takes courage. Here are straight answers to the questions we hear most.
Perfect.
The course is built for complete beginners. Every skill is broken into simple steps, and nobody expects you to know anything on day one.
You don't need to be.
Every technique is scaled to your comfort level. You'll build strength and confidence as you go.
That's completely normal.
You start slowly with a partner, talk through every step, and can pause any drill at any time. Comfort grows with practice.
Controlled, not rough.
Techniques are practiced cooperatively, without hard sparring. The tone is encouraging, and you always set the pace.
That's what it's for.
These skills rely on leverage, angles, and timing instead of size and strength.
Join the waitlist.
No date is set yet. Join the waitlist for our next free seminar and we'll reach out as soon as it's on the calendar.
Still wondering about something? Text us at (951) 337-3781 and we'll answer.
Each week builds on the last, so your skills stack up instead of fading after a single night.
Flow Academy BJJ's new Riverside home is at 10081 Indiana Ave, Suite A-1, Riverside, CA 92503, opening in mid-November 2026 (call or text (951) 337-3781 for directions). Women come to Flow from across Riverside and the Inland Empire, including Corona, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley, Norco, La Sierra, Arlington, Canyon Crest, and Orangecrest.
6-week course · led by Coach Zaide
10% off for Military, Veterans, College Students, and Law Enforcement, plus sibling and family discounts. CSA charter-approved -- charter-school families may train free where approved. Discount and charter questions: (951) 337-3781.
It's a structured 6-week course for women, led by Coach Zaide at Flow Academy BJJ Riverside. It teaches practical skills: awareness, setting boundaries, calm verbal de-escalation, escaping common grabs and holds, and getting back to your feet, with each week building on the last.
No date is set yet. The course is coming soon on Saturdays (time to be announced) — join the waitlist for our next free seminar and we'll reach out as soon as it's on the calendar.
No experience is needed. The course is designed for complete beginners. Coach Zaide will guide you through every technique step by step.
No. You do not need to be fit or have any martial arts experience. The course is built for complete beginners and every technique is scaled to your comfort level. You'll build strength and confidence as you go.
Comfortable athletic clothing you can move in — leggings or shorts and a t-shirt work well — plus a water bottle. You'll train barefoot on the mat, so sandals for walking off it help. You do not need a uniform or any equipment to start.
Yes. Techniques are taught and drilled in a controlled, cooperative way, without hard sparring. Coach Zaide keeps every class structured and respectful, and you always work at a pace that feels safe for you.
This course is designed specifically for women and taught in a supportive, women-focused environment led by Coach Zaide. If you have questions about who attends a particular session, call (951) 337-3781 and we'll be glad to tell you exactly what to expect.
Women's Self-Defense is a focused course on practical self-defense skills. Women's Jiu-Jitsu is an ongoing, women-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class for women and girls 10+, taught by Professor Zaide on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. They work well together: one gives you practical skills, the other keeps you training every week.
No date is set yet -- join the waitlist and we'll reach out as soon as the next free seminar is on the calendar. No experience needed.
