FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local nonprofit celebrates a new collaboration at Oct. 9th open house featuring self-defense demonstrations, local officials and community leaders.
Strike It Strong, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to empowering women through practical self-defense education, has a new home.
Strike It Strong co-founders Nancy Starr and Cheryl Squadrito are collaborating with Laurie Smith, owner of Kempo Martial Arts and Fitness Studio in Cherry Hill, to expand the nonprofit’s self-defense programming and offer regularly scheduled classes for women.
The new alliance will be officially announced during a community and media open house Friday, Oct. 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kempo Martial Arts and Fitness Studio. The best photo opportunities are the ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. and demonstration at noon.
Members of the media are invited to attend the event, which will feature demonstrations of self-defense moves and tactics included in the Strike It Strong curriculum. Local elected officials, representatives of area nonprofits and Strike It Strong supporters will be there to celebrate.
The event will offer impactful photo and video opportunities, including demonstrations led by Smith, who will instruct Strike It Strong’s classes at Kempo Martial Arts and Fitness Studio. Members of the media will have opportunities to interview the women and learn some of the practical self-defense techniques taught during the classes.
“This collaboration gives Strike It Strong something we have dreamed about – a place to call home,” Starr said. “Cheryl and I started Strike It Strong because we wanted women to have access to self-defense education that feels welcoming, practical and empowering. Working with Laurie gives us the opportunity to offer that experience to women on a regular basis.”
Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 14, Strike It Strong will hold self-defense classes at Kempo Martial Arts and Fitness Studio on the second Wednesday evening of each month through December. Participants will have the option of taking weekly classes to practice striking and kicking.
Smith, who has been teaching self-defense for many years, will lead the classes, teaching practical techniques designed to help women become more confident, aware and prepared to respond in potentially dangerous situations.
“I’ve been teaching self-defense for many years, and I’ve seen how learning even a few practical skills can change the way a woman carries herself and responds to a difficult situation,” Smith said. “I love what Nancy and Cheryl have created with Strike It Strong – an environment where women can learn without feeling intimidated. I’m excited to welcome Strike It Strong to my studio and help make self-defense education available to even more women in our community.”
“Self-defense isn’t about being the strongest person in the room,” Squadrito said. “It’s about awareness, confidence and knowing what you can do if you find yourself in a situation where you need to protect yourself. Having a permanent home allows us to reach more women and build a real community around that mission.”
Starr and Squadrito founded Strike It Strong in 2023. Since then, the organization has helped hundreds of women throughout the Philadelphia region learn self-defense basics in a supportive, non-intimidating environment while raising thousands of dollars to help women in crisis.
The organization has presented programs for community groups and businesses, including a virtual self-defense program for more than 200 female employees of EisnerAmper in four countries.
Becoming a 501c3 nonprofit and establishing a home at Kempo Martial Arts and Fitness Studio mark a new chapter for Strike It Strong as the organization works to expand its programs and community impact.
About Strike It Strong
Strike It Strong is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2023 by Nancy Starr and Cheryl Squadrito to empower women through practical, approachable self-defense education. Strike It Strong provides self-defense programs for women, businesses and community organizations and raises funds to help women in crisis. Since its founding, the organization has helped hundreds of women throughout the Philadelphia region learn self-defense basics in a supportive, non-intimidating environment.
