Pretty Deadly Podcast

What exactly ARE your innate rights? Do you have the right to clean air? do you have the right to breathe? Do you have the right to occupy your own space? Susie and Zipporah discuss what it means to occupy your space and the simple fact of our existence.

Zipporah and Susie travel back in time to look at how protecting ourselves from childhood fears laid the groundwork for strategic thinking skills we use as adults.

What does is feel like to KNOW you can defend yourself? Zipporah and Susie chat about the feelings of confidence and independence Pretty Deadly has given each of them, and how it's opened up their lives.

What is the price of being nice? In what ways are women encouraged to be nice as a form of control? What do we gain? What do we give up? What do we have to lose if we're not nice? Zipporah and Susie talk about the price women pay for NOT being "nice" and how we can rebalance power. Spoiler alert: Coach Z is ON FIRE in this episode!

Susie and Zipporah talk about the need for vulnerability when learning, and why learning in all-female environments can be more productive for women and girls. Special shout out to @WriteGirl where Susie first learned this statistic, and Happy 20th Anniversary to all the fearless WriteGirl pioneers!

It's no secret that men and women are socialized differently, including how they learn. Susie and Zipporah explore in what ways we can share our strengths and weaknesses with each to build a better world together.

"Be Yourself" -- possibly the most annoying advice in this history of human advice. How do you "be yourself" exactly, and what does that look like in self defense? Zipporah and Susie talk about learning to move with power rather than precision, and how each of them adapts techniques to their own bodies in order to achieve stability and strength.

Did you know body language can communicate both ways? Susie talks about the patriarchal take on posture (head up! chest out!) and what that means for women's bodies, and Zipporah dissects the fighting stance as both protective as well as a reminder that we have tools.

Did you know body language can communicate both ways? Susie talks about the patriarchal take on posture (head up! chest out!) and what that means for women's bodies, and Zipporah dissects the fighting stance as both protective as well as a reminder that we have tools.

Zipporah shares a story about her TOTALLY BADASS SISTER who used effective situational awareness to outsmart a group of boys. Susie points out that if the boys are already creeps in their 20s, imagine how what bigger creeps they'll be in the 50s, after 30 years of practice.

We talk about this problem with every trainer, and in every season of this podcast... and we think it's because it's just. so. relentless. Tune in for a fresh take on what to do with the barrage of harassment in the streets.

Zipporah kicks off Episode 75 with the observation that our bodies can do anything, prompting Susie to talk about her return to #Crossfit after a 5 year break, and what she likes and what she's learned about the body through the high intensity training approach of Crossfit.

Zipporah has found herself standing up to a bully at her local market, which felt totally empowering... so how come she also felt like she was going to have heart attack right after? Susie and Zipporah talk about biophysical responses and the subconscious processes of our intuition.

One of the things both Zipporah and Susie love about self defense is feeling secure not just with the self defense techniques but also being able to trust that your body will come through at the time you need it most. They each talk about what that means for them.

Zipporah and Susie discover that they've been having the same experiences when they tell certain men they teach self defense: they're challenged to a fight! What is that all about, and how do you get out of it safely?

Zipporah explains that in her community in Entebbe, she's often asked "why": why do you want to train and teach self defense? She's not sure how to handle the peer pressure she experiences, but Susie has some ideas. She explains that we learn self defense for the same reason we learn to drive a car.

"If it was something only a male body could do, then I wouldn't be able to do it." Zipporah and Susie talk about the things they were told they couldn't do because they are women... and how they do it anyway. Bonus: Susie gives some tips on how to handle mansplaining at the gym.

It's a new season of the Pretty Deadly Podcast! In this season, we're chatting with our coach Zipporah Kuteesa. Zipporah and I are exploring self defense in her native Uganda, talking about the different challenges women face, and what strengths we might have in common. This episode is all about how the things perceived as weak in women are actually our strengths.

What does social distancing and situational awareness have in common? Defending your distance during a pandemic is something we've all been exploring for the past year, but what happens when some people see it as an opportunity to be a creep, rather than a reason to stay safe?

Do you know what to do if you meet a wild polar bear in Alaska? What about a wild boar in Berlin? Turns out that the combined survival knowledge of our four hosts covers an entire zoo... including what to do if attacked by the neighbor's dog.

Performing drag, cosplay, pole dancing, or burlesque often puts performers in difficult situations where breaking character to defend yourself can cost you your paycheck. So how can performers make defense part of the dance?

Being aware of your situation can help you stay safer, but does it work all the time? This episode talks about how women already use situational awareness and are really good at it, how pickpockets are even better (and it's ok not to be better than a professional pickpocket) and Shelby drops some bullfrog facts on the group and how their behavior fits in.

Pretty Deadly Coach Maírelise brings up a scenario that a lot of women have encountered: being followed by a stranger on the street. Unlike in the movies, it's a whole different reality than just shaking a tail. All four women share their favorite tactics for being followed, with variations specific to the city each of them lives in.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains graphic content addressing sexual assault. Shelby asks what we can do when we are groped in public spaces, like the subway or on the street. Maírelise asks if letting the perp know you know is useful, and Susie shares her theory of the powerplay behind the assault.

Seriina brings up the question of how to stay safe when a protest goes sideways. Based on her experience as a college protest "marshall", she takes us through some basic safety tips to protect yourself during a protest, as well as the walk home when you may be confronted by a counter-protestor. Maírelise and Shelby chime in with tips for prep and other actions you can take if you don't feel comfortable protesting at all.

2020 saw police brutality both exposed and reaching new levels of violence. Maírelise wonders what our rights are, how much you have to endure and what we can do about it. Susie did a little digging and opened a whole new can of worms on the subject of getting frisked.

Susie kicks off Season 4 with Pretty Deadly Trainers Seriina, Shelby, Mairelise and talk about self defense, martial arts and bro culture.... and what Susie's problem with BJJ is.

This is the final episode of Season 3 and of 2020, and the second in our special 2-part interview with my teacher, Sensei Chad Minge. In Part 1, Chad took us through his history of martial arts, from ttraining in the US Army all the way to meeting Shoto Tanemura and being invited to train directly with him in Japan. Part 2 takes us on a more intimate journey: Susie and Chad share what the art means to them, how it's affected each of them and what they've learned so far.

In part 1 of a special 2-part interview, Susie chats with her teacher, Sensei Chad Minge. Chad has lived martial arts for over 60 years, and he shares his martial arts journey across decades, along with what he's been seeking, and what he's found.

Meet your Ninja Neighbors! Miwa Nishiji is our second Warrior Woman series artist. Miwa talks growing up in Japan next door to real ninjas, how she got into training ninjutsu and how her martial arts training has helped her work as a storyboard artist in Hollywood!

How can we use creativity to fuel our fires for social justice, equality and change? Susie talks with Ananya Rao-Middleton, the first artist to kick off our Warrior Women Wednesday series, about illustration, disability, social justice and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Meet the Coach! Susie chats with the third part of our fabulous LA trio of coaches, Máirelise Robinson, about how the meaning of martial arts changed for her over time, finding family and building community, and her work for migrant rights.

The Pretty Deadly Podcast got a new theme song this year, thanks to Berlin-based band Dead Sentries. Susie chats with the boys in the band about punk rock, politics and self defense. Check out all their tracks at https://deadsentries.com

What magical powers do you get from martial arts? That's what Ed Hines wanted to find out when he started learning Tai Chi as a teenager, only to discover a deeper power within. Susie talks to Ed Hines of I-Bagua about his lifelong journey in martial arts.

Can martial arts help chronic illness? This week, Susie talks to Seriina, a 10+ year practitioner of Ninpo Tai Jutsu who was diagnoed with MAST cell syndrome. Seriina shares what it's like to adapt to a diagnosis and how martial arts helps her to hang on to what matters most.

What do negotiation and self defense for women have in common? It's more than just negotiating our way out of a dangerous situation, and guess what? Women are already experts at it! Susie talks to Negotiatress founder Yasmine Guerin about dealing with toxic office environments, hostile boardrooms and women's secret negotiating talent!

Why would anyone become a martial arts instructor... or a self defense instructor? Susie talks to Shelby Laterza, a young female martial artist based in LA, and a Pretty Deadly Coach!

While there are more and more women in martial arts, we still don't make up even half of all martial arts practictioners. Women over 50 active in martial arts are even more rare (like gems, thank you very much). What's it like to start martial arts in your 40s, and continue into your 60s? Our guest this week is Cheryl Ilov. Cheryl found Ninpo Tai Jutsu only at the age of 47... 17 years later, she's still rolling on the mats and throwing around guys half her age. So what's it like? Listen and find out!

Susie meets Simone Marini, a martial artist living and training in Italy. Simone talks busting martial arts myths, combining styles and how to have fun. with fitness.

What's it like to a petite woman in the world? Are her safety concerns different? Can she use her size to her advantage? Susie talks to Rithiki Punj, an ESL teacher, petite Crossfitter, and emotional intelligence facilitator.

Welcome to our new season! For this season, Susie is chatting up other women and men in the world of self empowerment, self defense and martial arts. In this episode, she chats with an old colleague, Aaron Rieley, a 26-year martial arts vet and active member of The Saber Legion. What does this have to do with self defense? Find out!

Kate shares a personal experience with family sexual violence and asks Susie about the reality that there is no recourse or forum to challenge an abuser, especially if the offense doesn’t rise to the level of criminal violation, for example child sexual abuse. Kate and Susie talk about the difference between sexual harassment in the workplace where there are HR policies and other forums to call attention to abusers and to file complaints where family assaults and harassment leave victims to fend for themselves. Susie and Kate talk about possible solutions including severing ourselves from family members. How do we handle families that are abusive? What does it mean to carry the burden of a family secret and how do we stay true to ourselves?

TRIGGER WARNING: What is the difference between violent physical assaults and attacks that are a sexual in nature? Are defense responses the same? Susie talks about the history of sexual violence as male and male attack, destruction of bloodlines, and rape as a weapon of war.

“What did I do wrong? How did I get sucked into this? How could I let this happen to myself? I feel like I have a target on my back for this kind of thing!” Kate and Susie talk about emotional abuse and narcissistic abuse and how abusers identify victims.

Why do men take their anger out on women? With global cases of domestic violence are on the rise since the pandemic, Susie and Kate talk about men and anger, and the way that expression is often directed at women. This episode explores how women and men can help each other deconstruct socialized behavior and shared knowledge around emotional intelligence, and why self-defense is necessary to combat male rage.

The first rule of self defense is to run, but what if you're already home? Susie & Kate talk about intruders and home invasion, how to use normal household items as self-defense, and having tools for different scenarios from a pushy delivery man to an unwanted house guest to finding a stranger in your home.

Is self defense punk? Not everyone knows about Susie’s early days in New York as a young punk rocker working at CBGBs. Kate is interested in whether Susie’s love of punk rock as it is related to protecting marginalized people, living on the fringe, and political action underlies her motivation to get a black belt and teach self-defense. Punk is about questioning the status quo, challenging authority, and questioning the order of things. Punk says “F-you” and allows people to be whatever they want to be: “When you empower people is when they start to see the weakness in the structures.”

When it comes to self defense, how much training do we really need? Do we learn the moves once and we are done like plugging our brains in The Matrix? Susie talks about what it means to prepare and train in self-defense, the difference between practice and preparation, and the meaning of acceptance. By practicing scenarios we can be mentally and physically prepared in the event that we are faced with an attack or conflict.

Can we ever really get over trauma? This episode is about how, while we might never truly recover in the sense that it is gone, trauma does become part of our story. Kate asks what happens when new traumas trigger our memories of older trauma? Susie talks about how physical training can help with staying present and staying in the moment can help us move forward.

Can a kiss be a sexual assault? Kate tells Susie about a guy on a train who, just as quarantine was lifted in Berlin, randomly kissed her on the forehead. Kate describes the bodily experience of being violated, also the triggers that might correlate to earlier traumas. Susie describes the “similar instance” versus “triggers" and provides some strategies for the moments after, and recovering from this type of trauma.

Kate asks Susie whether there are ways to be an active ally and a safe interventionist to help others who are, or about to become, victimized by harassment or a physical attack. Susie gives concrete examples and offers some creative ways to help others who are being targeted by street harassment, domestic assault, sexual assault, racially motivated attacks, and even physical violence.