Lauren Taylor

I've been teaching Empowerment Self-Defense since 1986, and founded Defend Yourself in 1997. With a team of about 12 trainers, we've reached some 35,000 people, mostly in the Washington, DC, area, with skills for stopping harassment, abuse, and assault. We also train nationally via conferences and Zoom.

I hold a black belt in Tae Kwon Do from NWMAF founder Carol Middleton of DC Self-Defense Karate Association.

"Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World,' co-authored with ESD pioneer Nadia Telsey, will be published by Penguin Random House in October 2023.