Real skills start before the threat does. This course teaches you both.
TRICOM Women's Self-Defense
Vol. 1: Awareness, Prevention & Personal Safety
Developed in cooperation with the Smart Defense Program of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.
Scholarships available for residents of developing countries
*Price applied automatically at checkout. Launch week offer ends July 17 at midnight. Price moves to $149 after.
THE PROBLEM
Most self-defense courses skip the most important part.
They jump straight to wrist grabs and palm strikes, skip the psychology, skip the awareness training, skip the conversation about how and why attacks actually happen — and send women home with a handful of techniques they'll never use because they never learned to see danger coming in the first place.
The result is training that feels empowering in the moment and does very little in the real world.
Real personal protection doesn't start with your hands. It starts with your eyes, your instincts, your voice, and the decisions you make before a threat ever gets close enough to touch you.
That's where this program starts. And it doesn't stop there.
Why Awareness Comes First
The principles taught in this course didn't begin here. Long before this program was developed, TRICOM founder Jared Wihongi was writing and teaching the same awareness-first approach to personal protection.
In "Victim Proof: Defending Against Sexual Assault & Abduction," published by Offgrid, Jared explores predator behavior, victim selection, situational awareness, and practical strategies for reducing your risk before an encounter ever becomes physical.
WHAT THIS COURSE IS
TRICOM Women's Self-Defense, Vol. 1 is the first course in a comprehensive multi-volume personal protection series focused on women's safety — developed in cooperation with the Smart Defense program of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and delivered through the proven tactical framework of TRICOM Training.
Vol. 1 covers both the foundation and the practical application. From the first session, you are building real, applicable skills — not waiting for a later course to get to the work that matters.
Situational awareness How to read a room, a street, a parking structure — what to look for, what it means, and what to do about it before anything happens.
Threat recognition Attacks don't happen randomly. Those who intend harm look for specific behavioral signals — distraction, hesitation, isolation, boundary softness. This module teaches you to recognize those signals during the approach phase, when you still have options.
Prevention strategies Practical, realistic habits and decisions that reduce vulnerability in daily life without turning you into a paranoid person who can't function.
Verbal boundary-setting Your voice is a defensive tool. This module teaches how to use it — clearly, confidently, and in ways that actually de-escalate or deter.
Personal safety strategies How to assess environments, communicate your location, and make fast, informed decisions under stress.
Practical self-defense skills Applied technique grounded in the TRICOM methodology — realistic, effective, and built for the specific threat environment women face every day.
Mindset and confidence The psychological foundation that makes every skill more effective. Without this, technique alone is fragile.
WHY THE ELIZABETH SMART FOUNDATION
Elizabeth Smart's name is known because of what she survived. Her foundation exists because of what she refused to let that mean.
The Smart Defense program was built from hard-earned experience, survivor advocacy, and over a decade of developing self-defense education that is psychologically honest, physically practical, and designed specifically for women. Every Smart Defense Certified Instructor passes a background check, carries credentials in Krav Maga, Jiu Jitsu, and/or Muay Thai, and completes sexual assault training. This is a serious program built by serious people for serious reasons.
WHY TRICOM
TRICOM is a modular combatives system developed by Jared Wihongi — 25+ year police officer and SWAT Operator, contracted U.S. Army Special Forces Combatives Instructor since 2005, and use-of-force trainer for law enforcement and military units across six continents.
TRICOM was built to teach what actually works under stress, in real environments, against real threats. It's not sport. It's not performance. It's the same methodology vetted by special operations units, federal agencies, and executive protection professionals worldwide — applied here to the specific threat environment women face every day.
The combination of Smart Defense's survivor-informed curriculum and TRICOM's tactical framework produces something neither program could deliver alone.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT SMART DEFENSE
"It's been amazing. As a young adult I struggle with confidence, anxiety, depression, eating disorders — and this class has been unbelievable in making me feel strong and capable." — Candace W., Age 20
"Very empowering. Your teaching style was very effective — informative, fun, and humorous without being overwhelming. I also liked that we discussed scenarios. It's psychologically empowering." — Kimberly B., Age 37
"I really enjoyed the program. I feel like I learned a lot. The course did a great job of building on skills learned in previous weeks. Very knowledgeable instructors. Also loved the class size — lots of personal attention." — Keri W., Age 40
"I honestly was really nervous at first, but once the classes started going I had a lot of fun and learned a ton. Definitely a fantastic experience. I would definitely recommend this program to friends and family." — Sadie L., Age 16
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Miyo Strong Smart Defense Program Director, Elizabeth Smart Foundation
Miyo Strong has taught self-defense for over a decade. As a survivor and advocate, she brings to every class both technical expertise and the personal understanding of what it means to face violence — and come out the other side.
She is the Program Director of Smart Defense at the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, and has led programs for Temple MMA and Empower Self-Defense. A black belt under Johnny Carlquist, Miyo is a 5x Jiu Jitsu World Master Champion in both Gi and No Gi, a former MMA fighter with a 6-0 record in Jiu Jitsu super fights, and a certified strength and conditioning coach through Gym Jones.
Her credentials are elite. Her perspective is human. That combination is exactly what this program requires.
*Price applied automatically at checkout. Launch week offer ends July 17 at midnight. Price moves to $149 after.
WHO THIS IS FOR
This course is for you if:
- You are a woman who wants a serious, structured foundation in personal protection
- You are a parent, partner, coach, or mentor who wants to understand the threat environment women face and be equipped to support the women in your life
- You work in law enforcement, security, fitness, or education and want to add a credible women's safety curriculum to your program
- You want to teach or facilitate these skills in your community, school, or organization
- You've felt unsafe, or care deeply about someone who has, and want practical tools that go beyond general advice
- You're ready to invest seriously in knowledge that builds from this foundation into future volumes of physical skill development
This course is not a casual intro class. It is the first step in a serious, progressive curriculum. Volume 1 is the foundation. Future volumes build the structure on top of it.
WHAT YOU GET
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Full online video program — self-paced, lifetime access
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Curriculum developed in cooperation with the Elizabeth Smart Foundation's Smart Defense program
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TRICOM's tactical framework applied to women's personal safety
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The foundation for all future volumes in the TRICOM Women's Self-Defense series
Launch Week Price: $99 (moves to $149 after July 17 at midnight) Discount applied automatically at checkout.
*Price applied automatically at checkout. Launch week offer ends July 17 at midnight. Price moves to $149 after.
