One Strong Move

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This book shows how to teach important, practical, and effective self-defense skills to youth and adult students.

Also available on Amazon in Paperback!
In this engaging and practical self-defense textbook, you will find step-by-step lessons for learning and teaching practical and effective self-protection strategies and techniques from Kidpower’s globally acclaimed curriculum:
  • Awareness and target denial to avoid an assault.
  • Physical self-defense skills to escape from an attack.
  • Defense against weapons, chokes, punches, and multiple attackers.
  • Verbal self-defense tactics to de-escalate a confrontation.
"For in-class and at-home use, One Strong Move is a thorough resource for martial artists, self-defense instructors, educators, and parents alike. Emotional, verbal, physical, and strategic tactics are never complex or fancy—just the stuff that really works."

Strategies to take charge of your safety and avoid problems

Practice and teaching instructions

Physical and verbal
self-defense skills

Table of contents

What is Self-Defense?

Strategies to Avoid Being Attacked and Taking Charge to Avoid Problems

  • The Pattern of Attack
  • Act with Awareness, Calm, And Respectful Confidence
  • Ways Of Being More Safe - And Ways Of Being Less Safe
  • Leaving And Getting Help
  • Stop Following Me!
  • Yelling
  • The Ready Position
  • The Arm Grab Escape

Emergency Only Techniques

  • The Bully Pinch
  • The Bully Push Away
  • The Bully Heel Palm
  • The Bully Shin Kick

Strategies and Skills For More Dangerous Attacks

  • Avoiding The Donut of Danger
  • The Shield Technique
  • The Front Choke Defense
  • The Back Choke Defense
  • Weapon Defenses
  • Multiple Attacker Defenses

Emotional Triggers, Verbal Attack, And Verbal Self-Defense Tactics

  • Emotional Triggers
  • Verbal Attack Introduction
  • Verbal Self-Defense Tactics: Connection
  • Verbal Self-Defense Tactics: Distracting
  • Verbal Self-Defense Tactics: Lying

People Safety Articles & Handouts

Grandmaster Carol Middleton, 7th Degree Black Belt,
Founder and Director of DC Self-Defense and Karate Association
"Teaching and practice instructions for each section are very clear. [...] The lessons aimed at teaching children can help all the adults in a child’s life have a thorough grounding in how to present strategies and physical tactics without scaring or confusing kids.”
"The clear and entertaining lessons make learning and teaching physical self-defense to teens and adults a simpler task. This will be especially helpful in preparing martial artists and other teachers to use the Kidpower curriculum to teach self-defense in their schools."
David Harrison MD, Emergency Physician and
Self-Defense Instructor in Vancouver, BC

You may also be interested in these Kidpower resources!

Kidpower 30 Skills Coaching Handbook
KIDPOWER SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS, COACHES, AND OTHER CAREGIVERS
GUIDELINES FOR SUPPORTING A POSITIVE CLASS, TEAM, TROOPS, OR YOUTH GROUP CLIMATE
THE KIDPOWER BOOK FOR CARING ADULTS
7 Keys for Teaching Safety Skills To Everyone, Everywhere (ARTICLE)
10 Actions for adult leaders to protect and empower young people (article)

Pricing options

 Price per person

$20 USD per person if you wish to enroll on your own. Use the contact form below to request a discount code that will allow you to enroll at a reduced price.

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 Group rate

Use the contact form below to request a custom quote for your situation. Please tell us how many people and locations (sites) you wish to include in your enrollment.

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Print Book Ordering Details - For orders within the U.S.

Contact safety@kidpower.org for discounts on orders of 20 or more in-print books.
For purchase outside the US, you can buy the print book through Amazon with local shipping from the following countries:
About the author

Irene van der Zande

Kidpower Founder and Executive Irene van der Zande is a master at teaching safety through stories and practices and at inspiring others to do the same. Her child protection and personal safety expertise has been featured by USA Today, CNN, Today Moms, the LA Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Publications include: cartoon-illustrated Kidpower Safety Comics and Kidpower Teaching Books curriculum; Bullying: What Adults Need to Know and Do to Keep Kids Safe; the Relationship Safety Skills Handbook for Teens and Adults; Earliest Teachable Moment: Personal Safety for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers; The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults: Personal Safety, Self-Protection, Confidence, and Advocacy for Young People, and the Amazon Best Seller Doing Right by Our Kids: Protecting Child Safety at All Levels.
Patrick Jones - Course author

Book Publishing Team

Meet the team that brought One Strong Move to life!
Amanda Golert
One Strong Move: Illustrator
Kidpower Sweden Director

Sol Pederson
Technical Specialist
Kidpower International 
Marylaine Léger
Online Programs Director
Kidpower International
The Kidpower Online Learning Center, part of Kidpower International, aims to help learners gain important 'People Safety' skills for themselves and to help educators and caring adults learn how to teach these important skills to others, using Kidpower's Positive Teaching Method™.

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