Comments

Dear Maggie, I just wanted to thank you so much for making this available to everyone and free no less. I am a 37 year old Mom of 5. In 2004 when my last child was 4 days old I noticed a neighbor girl riding her bike outside my home in a small community in Illinois. She stopped to take a drink of her water and I saw a man get out of his car and try to take her off her bike. I knew this little girl who was 8 at the time for most of her life, and I knew I didn't know this man. I ran outside yelling and he fled. By God's grace I happened to look over and got his licence plate number. Unfortunately he left my home and 45 min. later (presumably) kidnapped and raped a 13 year old. He then was caught the next day and is still in jail awaiting a trial. My point is this 8 year old is always very assure of herself, but when this happened she didn't even yell, and having 3 girls of my own, I need them to know how to be prepared. I have lived in my community all my life and never thought that this would happen here but it did, and I was very comfortable in thinking that. Thank you for caring about our children, and helping everyone feel like they don't have to be a victim, but to be secure in knowing that they can be prepared and protect themselves if need be.

I learned about this DVD just one day after they arrested a man who raped an 11 year old girl close to our neighborhood in Olympia. I have a 12 year old girl and want her to be prepared to protect herself.

So impressed with your story

I just returned back to Houston after attending the National Charity League convention in Seattle where I attended your seminar. I was so impressed with your story that it became one of the first things I told my 14 year old daughters about, even before I unpacked my suitcase! Your message of empowerment and following your passion was so inspirational that I could not wait to tell them about it. Both of them thought we should get your DVD to use to teach our chapter members your safety techniques and should become a grade level requirement.

Thank you for being such an incredible mother to such an obviously outstanding daughter.

When I was 13 I was brutally raped, I thought I was going to die- and I should have died. I managed to get away somehow- then about a year or two later he attacked me again in my High school. I was wondering if I could get a copy of this so I could bring it to my high school- and so I could share it with my friends.

Thank you so much for what you are doing- it is amazing. Please, keep up the work- and I will help spread the word.

I am a Disabled Veteran and a grandfather of Sixteen. I would have been the proud grandfather of another little one, but I guess GOD wanted him to be in Heaven with HIM. I will see him later and what a joy that will be. I have eight granddaughters and eight grandsons. I would not take a million dollars for any of them. Maybe two million would do it. No just kidding. They all are the light in my life. One grandson is old enough and has finished Navy training and is a Corpman with the Marines and will be going to Iraq or Afghanistan in January or February. Please remember him in your prayers. His name is Frankie.
I want to thank you all for making this film. It is something that should have been made a long time ago. I wonder just how many young lives would have been different if this film had been made sooner. I pray all who watch this, will never experience anything bad and if in a situation will know what to do because of this film. May GOD bless and reward everyone who was a part of this film.

This is an awesome video! my last two girlfriends were both sexually assaulted in college. neither defended themselves (adequately) and neither later reported.

I have a niece who is a freshman at college and I seriously FEAR for her safety because she is a shy girl. I will send her this link to view and post on my Myspace as a Bulletin tonight. You're very courageous and the World needs more women like you!

Cheers

Teaching girls that they CAN defend themselves

I am interested in becoming a certified trainer for Just Yell Fire. I gained my Master's degree in Library Science last May with an emphasis in children's and youth services, and hope to find a job soon as a public librarian. With the amount of contact I will have in that field with young and teenage girls, as well as contacts with schools and other libraries, I would like to find out how to become involved and help promote your program.

I have been training in aikido as a self-defense art since June, and will be testing for my first rank soon. The more I learned in aikido, the more it made me aware of how girls and women in America are socialized about violence. Movies, television, and popular media seem to promote the belief that girls and women cannot win or escape in a situation where we are under attack by a man. Recognizing this made me interested in finding out what programs were already available to promote girls' and women's self-defense. I discovered Just Yell Fire by Googling "women's self-defense". I was thrilled to find that someone has begun a movement to counter that socialization early in women's lives, beginning with teaching the girls who are most at risk that they CAN defend themselves and escape an attacker, even if their attacker is much larger. I myself am only 5'1", and the techniques that eliminate an attacker's advantage of greater height are also especially applicable to me.

I live in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, and I would like any information available on training for certification for Just Yell Fire, either locally or in neighboring states if necessary. Many thanks to you, Dallas, and everyone else involved with Just Yell Fire for your caring and hard work.

I don't exactly live in the BEST neighborhood and I walk to and from school every 5 feet I constantly catch myself turning around to make sure I'm not being followed, and the cat calls from way older men just scares me to death that one of them will act on it one day so thats why I am writing cuz I can't afford any type of classes or anything, I figure this is the next best thing (: and I think what you girls have done is just amazing you should be so so proud of yourselves, that's from the bottom of my heart and I'm sure you have saved lives. Thanks again.

Thank you for the DVD. I wanted to let you know that I really admire you for coming up with "Just Yell Fire." It is really neat to see a proactive approach to the issues of violence that women face. What an empowering world you are creating! Thank you for making a difference.

I am the Director of Marketing at Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette. This film is amazing. Many thanks.