Celebrating a Successful Launch of the ESDP Credential Program in 2022!
On behalf of the Association of ESD Professionals, I am excited to announce the 2022 (and first-ever) credentialed ESD Professionals.
The credential is granted to those who have written and passed a comprehensive examination, which requires that they demonstrate their knowledge of empowerment self-defense (ESD) principles, philosophy, and practice.
I am confident that this credential will elevate the ESD profession and bring us all new opportunities. Government agencies, commercial organizations, sponsors, partners, and educational institutions will work with credentialed ESD professionals knowing that these professionals have met a high standard established by an independent international body following a rigorous credentialling process.
I would like to thank the volunteers on the two advisory councils who worked with me to develop the credentialing program and the exam. It was thoroughly enjoyable to have so many lively and passionate conversations with experts in this profession, and the occasional good-natured disagreement where we challenged each other on the details. I continue to feel such admiration for the intensity of engagement and commitment we all seem to have in common. I hope to continue to engage with all of you, and with many others, as we continue to develop these programs.
It is my sincere hope and intention that the credentialing program will be a unifying force for ESD professionals from all over the world. The credentialing program demonstrates a common thread that runs between us and brings us together.
We all speak the same language of empowerment and we all share the same vision of a violence-free future.
Meet the first people to receive their ESDP credential from the Association of ESD Professionals!
Adanma Nwokoma
“I am honored to be the first person from Africa with the ESDP title. Being credentialed as an empowerment self-defense practitioner means a lot to me, because it demonstrates that my knowledge of ESD is the same as anyone else who has trained anywhere else in the world.”
Adanma Nwokoma is a Nigerian ESD instructor and is an ESD Global Graduate who works to eradicate gender-based violence in Africa. Adanma has 18 years work experience in broadcasting: running advocacy programs for women and children, justice sector reforms and health, while also volunteering her services with local NGOs.
She is also a State Gold as well as National Silver Karate Medalist.
In 2020, she became a Women’s Level 1 Empowerment Self Defense instructor and has taught ESD both online and in-person since then.
Amelia Dorn
Amelia Dorn is the founder, Creative Director, and Lead Instructor of IMPACT Personal Safety of Colorado, and she has over 20 years of experience working in self-defense and empowerment. Through IMPACT International, she has taught personal safety skills to thousands of adults and children.
She founded IMPACT Personal Safety of Colorado in 2006 and serves as its Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Her greatest passion lies in primary-prevention programs like IMPACT’s EMPOWERED Family Workshop and rehabilitation programs for convicts in federal and local correctional facilities.
Learn more about Amelia’s work with Impact Personal Safety of Colorado here.
Antonella Spatola
“I am very proud to have taken the ESD credentialing exam and now be recognised as an ESD Professional as part of the Association of ESD Professionals. Finally, we have a body that can provide a space for our development and professionalism as we provide services around the world. I encourage all ESD instructors to seriously consider taking the exam and showcasing ESD professionals as a group of knowledgeable expert individuals who deliver professional services.”
Antonella Spatola is the founder and instructor of ESD Australia and Wisdom For Women based in Brisbane, Australia. She has a BA in Psychology, is a professional mediator in conflict resolution, a behavioural therapist teaching ESD and life skills to young adults who are neuro-diverse, and coaches using personal profiling and transformational personal development.
Certified in Wing Chun Kung Fu, Antonella has taught undistilled methods of Wing Chun through a feminine perspective. Antonella is a Lead Instructor for ESD Global and a mentor for ESD instructors in Asia Pacific. Antonella has over 20 years of teaching ESD experience and has trained all over the world.
Discover Antonella’s work at her website.
Erjola Shaka
With a background as a social worker, Erjola Shaka holds a MA in Human Rights and Democracy in SEE and in Gender and Women’s Studies. She has been active within the civil society for over 20 years in the field of human rights, specifically children’s and women’s rights.
During the last three years, she has been engaged as an ESD instructor brought to Albania for the first time by ESD Albania and as the lead researcher on the impact of ESD in schools.
Based on similar experiences internationally, ESD has been piloted in 9 high schools in Albania. A research study was conducted in order to practically assess the impact of ESD within the school community with the possibility to formally include it in the school programme. This is an ongoing initiative in collaboration with the Albanian Ministry of Education to continue ESD introduction throughout the middle school level in Albania.
Kim Rivers
Kim Rivers is the owner of Labrys Self-Defense. She has trained in the martial art of Aikido since 1997 and currently holds the rank of 5th degree black belt and is a recognized Senior Instructor with Berkshire Hills Aikido. Kim taught Empowerment Self-Defense at Berkshire Community College and continues to instruct through her business.
Learn more about Kim and her incredible ESD work on Instagram and her website.
Lisa Gaeta
“I’ve been waiting for decades for an association with a certification process that fits our industry. I took the exam myself to have an idea of the level of difficulty, and to hopefully get certified in the process. The exam is not easy, but I believe those who are teaching ESD or IMPACT classes, or training to do so, will be able to pass. Over the years, I have had many people ask if there was a certification or accreditation for IMPACT and now I can say “yes”. This will be a great tool for us as we add to our teams and grow our businesses.”
Lisa Gaeta is the CEO and Founder of IMPACT Personal Safety, Southern California. She has been a driving force in keeping IMPACT alive in Southern California and all over the United States. She has trained hundreds of instructors around the world to teach IMPACT and has taught thousands of women, children, and men how to live their lives more safely.
Lisa is Co-author of The Safety Godmothers: The ABCs of Awareness, Boundaries and Confidence for Teens, by Ellen Snortland and Lisa Gaeta; Contributor to Beauty Bites Beast: The Missing Conversation about Ending Violence, written by Ellen Snortland; and Associate Producer on Beauty Bites Beast: The Documentary, written and produced by Ellen Snortland. Lisa has dedicated her life to creating a world where her program will become unnecessary because women, children and men will not live in fear of being victims
Learn more about IMPACT Personal Safety here.
Stephanie Cyr
“As the interest in personal safety and wellness expands into all areas of our lives, The Association of ESD Professionals and its comprehensive credentialing exam provide a level of professionalism which can facilitate the hiring of self defense instructors in a variety of industries.”
Stephanie is a practicing martial artist with nearly thirty years of experience across more than 10 different martial arts. She holds a 6th-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, in which she has been a coach, official, instructor, and competitor with State and National championships. Based on her years of experience and evidence-based studies, she has developed age-appropriate curriculums for students from kindergarten through college.
Get to know Stephanie’s work on her website and Instagram!
Nicole Snell
“It was a wonderful opportunity to take this inaugural exam and be among the first officially credentialed empowerment based self-defense professionals in our transformative industry. Our work is instrumental in creating a world free from violence.”
Check out Nicole’s empowering work on her website and the Girls Fight Back Instagram!
Tasha Ina Church
Tasha Ina Church is the founder and owner of ElleLiveAction, an empowerment company focused on delivering empowering strategies to emerging women leaders, so they can be their own hero. She is a course creator, empowerment self-defense instructor, business owner, empowerment and self-care coach, author, and international speaker.
Tasha’s curriculum provides individuals with the tools they need to navigate life’s scenarios, teaching when to lean in, when to step back, and that they are worth fighting for. Tasha teaches throughout Hawaii and globally! With over 20 years of self-defense experience, studying 7 styles of Japanese Martial Arts, Tai Chi, zen trainings, clinical psychology background, along with doing Warrior Spirit with Sylvester Stallone’s Trainer, Jeff Alexander, she is one of a kind.
Discover Tasha’s work on the ElleLiveAction website and follow her on Instagram.
Toby Israel
Toby Israel is a vagabondess and storyteller currently rooted in Costa Rica. She is an Empowerment Self-Defense ESD instructor (ESD Global Level 4) and trainer of trainers, as well as an author, editor, marketing consultant, and movement artist. Toby is the founder of Mujeres Fuertes Costa Rica, a holistic self-defense project creating unique empowerment retreats around the country and region.
Follow Toby’s work with Mujeres Fuertes on her website and Instagram.
Yehudit Sidikman
“As someone who hires ESD instructors and is committed to quality, successfully completing the exam gives me the confidence to know that if I hire someone who has received their ESDP credentials they will be quality professionals. I am very proud of this important step in our profession.”
