Welcome to Fight (back) Club

By Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

Tiffany Richards teaches skills that, ideally, you will never need to use.

From women’s organizations to Girl Scouts to outdoor enthusiasts to Amazon employees, the people she trains in self-defense graduate with increased confidence and tools for worst-case scenarios.

“It’s like insurance,” she said. “You hope you never have to use it, but it’s always best to have it.”

A second-degree black belt who has been training in various martial arts systems for 25 years and teaching since 2010, Richards personally tests everything she teaches in her personal safety and self-defense workshops. 

“All techniques have been pressure tested,” she said. “I don’t teach things that folks merely see on social media or the news because I feel very strongly about not giving attendees misinformation that could put them in a terrible situation. I have big guys on my team, and they will physically try to choke me out so we can test effective methods to escape. I’ve been yanked around by my hair, pushed, punched and grabbed, and we have devised ways to thwart these situations. It’s also a dangerous misconception that if people are armed with a weapon, they’ll be safe. Sadly, too many times, someone gets a weapon taken away and used against them in an attack. Nothing is a substitute for physical defense.”

Though she welcomes men in many other classes, like her ABC’s of Personal Safety course geared towards outdoor adventurers, Peaceful Warrior Woman Self Defense 101 is a class for women only, to be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Taft Athletic Club in Lincoln City.

“The aim is to create a space where women can feel safe exploring the idea of defending themselves,” Richards said. “I can very easily connect with the women because I am one — only women know what it's like to constantly be thinking about threats to their safety.”

Richards stresses that the Peaceful Warrior Woman class is entry level and will give participants important information and life-saving abilities.

“The women who come to this class are not martial artists nor are they necessarily interested in becoming one; this puts simple self-defense skills in their toolbox. What I really want to get across is that the methods you learn in the class could save your life. But I find that the ladies also walk out with a sense of confidence and self-worth they didn’t have when they first arrived.”

Being a victim of domestic abuse herself has guided Richards’ development as a teacher and she holds a level of compassion and empathy for women who are in these types of settings.

“I work with a lot of organizations that help women in domestic violence situations,” she said. “I was in an abusive relationship in my 20s and I used to keep it quiet because of guilt and shame. One day, a colleague said, ‘You should tell your story when you teach’ so I started telling my story and I really began to connect with the women who attended my sessions in a whole new way.”

Originally from Arizona, Richards co-owned a karate dojo, Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts & Healing Center, with her late husband for many years in Phoenix.

“I’ve been summering on the Oregon Coast and hosting a women’s self-defense workshop here every year for about five years since my husband passed away,” she said. “I’m finally going to make the transition to living here full-time next year.”

Another chance to learn from Richards will be at the ABCs of Personal Safety class at Oregon Coast Community College in Lincoln City on Tuesday, Sept. 19. 

“That class is geared towards outdoor adventurers,” she said. “Whether they solo hike, disperse camp or plan to travel alone, we cover approaches needed to be mindful while enjoying these activities. We discuss incident avoidance, how to pick a safe trail or campsite, items that can be used for protection and how to defend, if necessary.”  

And if you’re looking to add a few more skills to your repertoire, on Mondays and Thursdays through October, Richards uses her martial arts background to offer a kickboxing-inspired strength and conditioning fitness class at the Taft Athletic Club.

“Each class is different,” she said. “It’s a full-body functional strength and cardio circuit for all levels that mixes in kickboxing skills. We train with heavy bags, battle ropes, medicine balls and students learn to hold boxing mitts and kick shields for one another to train various combinations.”

I showed up for a Monday class, where the number of people that attended matched perfectly the exercise stations Richards had set up. We grabbed jump-ropes and worked through each station, alternating rope jumping and water breaks as we worked what felt like every muscle in the human body.

The group, made up of regular attendees, welcomed me warmly and I finished the workout at least a few pounds lighter from sweat loss and smiling from ear to ear.

Registration is open for Peaceful Warrior Woman Self Defense 101, held on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 10 am to noon, for women aged 13 and older. The session is $40 and pre-registration is highly encouraged. 

The Strength & Conditioning class is offered on Mondays and Thursdays at 5:45 pm and welcomes students aged 13 and older. The first two classes are $20, packages can be purchased later with no gym membership required.

The Taft Athletic Club is located at 4744 Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City. For more information, go to peacefulwarriorwoman.com or call 480-330-2066.