Fight Like Ellie

A self defense for women directory focused on self defense and firearms training spaces built for women

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Ellie Badass Personal Safety Tips for Women

Self Defense for Women

Our focus is adding businesses that confirm as women-only, women-owned, or women-led. We’re actively refining listings and adding clearer filters as businesses confirm details and women in the community share trusted spaces.

Our directory currently includes a strong base of self defense classes and firearms training spaces. As the platform grows, we’re improving how listings are labeled so women can more easily find places that are women-only, women-owned, women-led, or women-approved.

Safety Support for Women

Women’s safety goes beyond self defense moves and pepper spray. Real protection comes from confidence, community support, and the stories of women who’ve been there.

You’ll find real stories and advice from women who understand, because they’ve lived it. Every story shared here is anonymous. No emails required, no personal information stored. Just real experiences that could help another woman stay safe.

Feigned Phone Calls for Safety
If I’m walking anywhere alone and see a man, any man, I pretend I’m talking on my phone with my car key between my fingers.
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Park by Cart Return
I always try to park next to the grocery cart return or in front of the store so I'm not alone for long.
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Keys Ready for Darkness
When I'm walking to my car and its dark, I keep my keys sticking out between my fingers of my dominant hand in case I need to fight someone off.
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Home Alone Precautions
if i get home at night i come in lock the door behind me, check all my other doors, windows and make sure all my blinds are closed, REFUSE TO TURN ON ANY LIGHT, bc that gives away what room i may be in or that im even home until im not home alone…. also if im ever on a walk, hike, gym, j out and ab NO HEADPHONES
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Dark Avoidance, Clothes for Safety
Don't go out after dark alone if I can help it. Let people know where I'm going, when I'm likely to get there. Check in when I reach my destination. Only have one headphone in so I can hear around me. Don't make eye contact with men. Move out of the way for men on pavements. Carry keys in hand as a weapon in quiet car parks. Pretend to be on a call with someone as I walk. Do...
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Call Husband After Night Classes
When I was taking night classes in college my girlfriends and I would take turns driving everyone to their cars. Sometimes I didn’t have that protection either. In those cases I’d call my husband before I left whatever building and I’d have him on speakerphone as I loudly would tell him EXACTLY where I was the entire wall to my car. He knew to hang up and call 911 if I ever ...
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Trust No Man At First
For years now, I have assumed that every single man I meet is unsafe and not to be trusted. It’s on them to prove me otherwise. It’s served me very well and there’s a marked difference from the before times, when I didn’t make such assumptions.
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Carry Spray, Park Near Doors
Always carry pepper spray. Park closer to doors of place I’m going. Dont park in dark places. If need be have someone accompany me to my car.
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Red Flag Stories

Trust your gut. These women share the warning signs they wish they’d recognized sooner.

It's Your Fault
He shoved me into the counter and then said "look what you made me do." I'M the one with a bruise but somehow I'M the one who caused it. He keeps saying if I didn't push his buttons this wouldn't happen. I'm starting to believe him.
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Trapped in the Room
Last night he wouldn't let me leave the room until I apologized. He stood in front of the door. I wasn't allowed to eat or sleep until we "resolved this." I finally said I was sorry just to escape. I have no idea what I apologized for.
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Empty Promises
He's been "going to therapy" for six months. Nothing has changed. He still yells, still breaks things, still blames me. I think he's just saying it to buy more time. I'm tired of waiting for different.
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Check-In Interrogation
He needs a full report every time someone texts or calls. "Who was that? What did they want? What did you talk about?" I'm exhausted from explaining every single interaction in my day. My friends have stopped reaching out.
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Trauma Minimizer
I told him about something that happened to me as a kid and he said "that wasn't even that bad, you should be over it by now." I haven't brought up my feelings since. I don't think he wants to hear them.
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Love Transactions
He said "if you really loved me you'd let me see your phone." Also "if you loved me you'd skip girls' night." Now every time I set a boundary he questions whether I love him. Love shouldn't cost this much.
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Sleep Deprivation
We fought until 4am even though I had work at 7. I kept saying I needed to sleep and he kept saying "we're not done talking about this." I was so exhausted I agreed to things I didn't mean just to make it stop.
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Property Destruction
He smashed my laptop last week during a fight. It had all my work files. He said if I hadn't made him so angry he wouldn't have done it. Now I'm hiding things I care about when I know he's in a mood.
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