Sisu is a unique Finnish concept that has
been roughly interpreted to mean “guts”. Sisu
stands for the philosophy that “What Must Be Done, Will Be Done”,
regardless of what it takes. It is the strength, courage
and determination to continue and overcome in the moment
of adversity. It seems like the perfect concept to describe
what is needed in self defence.
We understand that women tend to perceive and respond to
verbal threats, intimidation and violent confrontation differently
than men, and our programs are designed to work with those
differences. All of our classes teach both mental and physical
tools needed to detect, avoid and escape potentially violent
confrontation, but we know that the key to effective self
defence rests on your commitment to Do Something.
To us, sisu is the heart of self defence, and it is this
spirit we try to help women find in themselves through our
workshops, clinics and training courses.
Our Logo
The cougar in our logo
reflects the ferocious spirit and inner strength that is
the core of Sisu Women’s Self Defence.
The cougar is gentle but possesses great strength, and lives
in a perfect balance between these two traits. It is non-confrontational,
but will defend itself without hesitation if threatened. The
yin yang symbol in our logo represents the harmony of light
and dark. The balance between light and dark in our logo may
also symbolize for a student at Sisu the full circle she may
travel if she is a survivor of a traumatic situation such as
an assault. It is a journey from victim to victor, where she
overcomes the darker force, represented by the cougar "swallowing" the
darker force of the yin yang.
Sisu is a unique Finnish concept that has
been roughly interpreted to mean “guts”. Sisu
stands for the philosophy that “What Must Be Done, Will Be Done”,
regardless of what it takes. It is the strength, courage
and determination to continue and overcome in the moment
of adversity. It seems like the perfect concept to describe
what is needed in self defence. 
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