Interview with Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) Professional Linda Štucbartová
In the Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) community, we find ourselves surrounded by inspiring humans. Changemakers, warriors for peace, rebels, and disruptors are not the exception, but the rule. When we feel down about the violence we see in the world, we never have to look far to find a boost of optimism. ESD is the closest thing we know to bottling hope.
This month, we are pleased to bring you an interview with one such inspiring individual. ESD Czechia founder Linda Štucbartová is an entrepreneur, coach, ESD professional, and so much more. We are feeling a new wave of inspiration after hearing her story!
About Linda
Linda Štucbartová comes from Prague, Czechia. She is a leading woman entrepreneur, a coach, and an activist. She is the founder of ESD Czechia. Her company Diversio has implemented Women in Tech projects, run the 1st Czech-Israeli hackathon on Respect at universities, and organized business missions to Israel for women entrepreneurs.
Linda was nominated for Woman of the Year 2022 and ESD Czechia was awarded the Heart Project of the Year for the City of Prague. Moreover, the ESD Czechia project placed in the semifinals of the SDGs competition in the Development Cooperation, Peace and Partnership category.
Linda lives in Prague with her husband and her two teenage children.
Our Interview with Linda Štucbartová of ESD Czechia
How did you become involved with ESD?
I encountered ESD thanks to a personal meeting with Yudit Sidikman in December of 2019. I had been quite engaged in women’s empowerment as a leading Czech executive coach, and I was also active in Czech-Israeli relations. Former Israeli Ambassador to Czechia Daniel Meron called me to ask if I would like to meet an inspiring Israeli social entrepreneur. I said yes, of course, and after a couple of minutes we knew that it was a meeting of hearts and minds. We looked forward to the next Violence Prevention Education Conference (VPEC) scheduled to take place in Prague in March 2020.
Then Covid came, the pandemic showing the need for and importance of a truly complex approach to violence prevention education. We postponed VPEC and the ESD instructor training to later in 2020, then to 2021, only to cancel both because of another Covid wave. However, in August 2021, I got the chance to attend the Train the Trainer initiative in Albania, which helped me to start our ESD Czechia chapter. For translation purposes, I use the title Defense for Everybody.
Finally, in May 2022, I organized a Train the Trainer in Prague for both women and all-gender groups. We had 31 participants, 16 trainers, and 20 countries represented. My daughter, Lada Jirkalova, who was 18 at the time, also got her certification.
Later in 2022, I was nominated for the Woman of the Year Award and ESD Czechia received a special recognition as Heart Project of the Year for the City of Prague. I also ended up as a semifinalist for the Association of Socially Responsible Organizations for SDGs. Not a bad achievement for a part-time hobby project.
So far this year, I have trained with Bianka Urbanovska in Slovakia and introduced ESD in Austria and in Kenya, where I supported mothers of neurodiverse children who often must defend both themselves and their children.
Who is your main demographic, and why?
I have had to define my target group very carefully, as there are many self-defense providers in my country. Did you know that the famous Israeli Krav Maga is Czechoslovak in origin? Therefore, I have had to explain often that ESD is not another Krav Maga; it is much more complex.
I personally do not have a martial arts background, so I concentrate on target groups that “would not go to the gym.” I have trained people with disabilities, seniors, holocaust survivors, women with cancer—people who are likely to become targets of prejudice violence. I am always proud and humbled to see the newly-gained confidence of people who came to the training afraid that they would be an easy target. They transform their belief system and come to see themselves as tough opponents who know how to stand up for themselves.
Having my daughter as another trainer, I also expanded to teenage girls. I started to collaborate with Chance4Children, and thanks to them we now teach ESD at orphanages too. Teenage girls and boys who have spent most of their lives in the institutional environment lack a basic understanding of concepts like prevention, boundaries, intuition, communication skills, and de-escalation. We do not need to teach the “fight” principle here, as they know that one far too well. I also started to work with volunteers who spend time with the youngsters regularly to make sure our discussions about ESD do not happen only during the workshops, but are cultivated for much longer.
Large corporations represent the last segment of my clientele. Mental well-being, boundary setting, raising children, knowing how to prevent muggings—these issues matter to many leaders (women and men) I have worked with. Therefore, alongside my leadership coaching, I offer ESD workshops.
What is your vision for ESD Czechia?
I have a new colleague joining me, Jana Pechova, who will develop ESD Czechia as a nonprofit so that we can ask for grants and government funding. Originally, I wanted to keep it as a social enterprise, because women in social services are by default underpaid, as these sectors are very much underfunded.
However, I am learning to choose my battles, and I need to fight one at a time. So I decided to have two organizations, one for business and one for my nonprofit. I cannot change both the system and the society at once, and ESD Czechia is my priority.
I am glad that the beta version of the MyPwr App is out, as I believe we need to use technology much more if we are going to scale up. In addition, it will help to attract more young people, as well as the ones in need who cannot leave their homes.
Next, I would like to concentrate on non-violent communication and violence prevention. Awareness is the key to understanding that self-defense does not equal martial arts. I would like to shape the whole discourse on violence prevention education to present ESD as a complex approach that is much more that consent, sex education, or physical defense.
How do your family and community support your ESD work? If you ever receive negative comments, how do you respond?
I see the support of my family, friends, and community as crucial. Thanks go to my husband, who shares with me the running of our household and takes care of it when I am involved in trainings, as most of these happen on weekends. One of my stepsons is helping me with graphic and web design. And my daughter Lada is a co-trainer. So ESD has truly become a family business for us.
Many thanks to all the women and men friends and supporters from women’s networks who have signed up for individual workshops or ordered company workshops, as these have funded my pro-bono activities. I like Madeleine Albright’s quote that, “There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.”
As to negative comments, I stopped paying attention … or rather, I see them in a positive way now. Many colleagues have said things like, now they will behave differently or pay attention since I know how to fight. I do not respond to these kinds of comments anymore.
One day, I was taking a cab to a training, with an armful of pool noodles and strike pads. The cab driver started a conversation in a bit of sneaky way: “So you are on the way to the gym or swimming lesson?”
“No,” I replied. “I am ESD trainer running a workshop.”
He said, “I better shut up now.”
His driving was excellent, and I did not have to engage in any unwanted conversation.
How have you grown as a facilitator since you began teaching ESD?
I have the advantage of having more than 20 years of leadership facilitation and coaching practice. However, ESD adds another layer of listening, working with groups, paying attention to details, and constant learning to stay updated on the latest research.
For me, teaching ESD is about becoming the most authentic version of myself, completely vulnerable and ready to serve.
If you could tell the world one thing about ESD, what would it be?
ESD is truly a transformational journey. Both for clients and for trainers. Join us on the ride!
To stay connected with Linda and follow the growth of ESD Czechia, follow her on Instagram!
Would you like to share about your ESD work, or do you think a certain ESD organization should be featured? Reach out at toby@esdprofessionals.org about contributing to the Association of ESD Professionals blog!
Author: Toby Israel / Linda Štucbartová
Editor: Samantha Waterman / Qwan Smith
Photo: Courtesy of Author
Want to learn more about the Association of ESD Professionals and join our growing community? Email us at hello@ESDProfessionals.org.
