Elemental is a sexual assault protection program that offers realistic training for realistic situations. This program:

  • Combines the best of classroom education and self-defense training in a program with peer-reviewed evidence of long-term effectiveness.
  • Offers an organized, cost-effective, and holistic curriculum that is grounded in social science research and is inclusive of a variety of participants, including gender and sexual minorities (GSM).
  • Assists your institution in filling the most recent requirements of the Violence Against Women Act (including the SaVE Act). Elemental combines some of the best elements of primary prevention and risk reduction programming. We offer face-to-face training and ongoing prevention through self-directed student review.
  • Provides program participants with choices in the way they respond to an assault, each based on the four elements of To-Shin Do. Our name comes from this element-based problem-solving paradigm.

What are the four elements?

Earth (Confident)
Hold your ground
Water (Surprised)
Step back momentarily, assess, then react
Fire (Connected)
Anticipate the threat and stop it before it grows
Wind (Withdrawn)
Exploit weaknesses within the threat that enable you to leave entirely

Latest News

Elemental Welcomes New Instructors

Posted on Apr 22nd, 2018

Elemental is happy to welcome our newest certified instructors: Jen, Autumn, Jennifer, Bailey, Matt, and Emily!  They work at Grinnell College and will be team-teaching Elemental to Grinnell students starting this fall! We are excited to welcome them to our program!

More Articles

Browse all articles »
View all »

Upcoming Courses

No courses are currently scheduled.
Read more »

Testimonials

I really enjoyed your "no pressure" approach and it allowed me to actually try the techniques without feeling uncomfortable.

2013 Participant

I enjoyed the environment itself, which felt safe and free...It was so hands on, so as a visual and exploratory learner, I was able to retain the information so well because I had practiced the techniques and saw where I made mistakes and how to fix my form and execution. I also enjoyed how easy it became to speak so freely about such sensitive topics like sexual assault.

2015 Participant

The scenarios... all felt very real for me. As a survivor of intimate partner violence, I thought those situations were much more helpful than many of the stranger-rape cases in past self-defense classes I’ve taken.

2012 Participant

I also appreciated that we were given the opportunity to try things that we might actually experience in real life with the couches and the beds.

2012 Participant

I really liked the "uh-oh" moment identifications because a lot of them I would have never thought of and it allows me to look out for them in real life situations.

2013 Participant

I have recommended the seminar to other because it helped me a lot with confidence in uncomfortable situations, and made me feel like I could defend myself if necessary.

2013 Participant

I really liked that it was hands-on and that we had the opportunity to try all the moves you demonstrated. I loved testing the moves on the Creepers, because it gave me an idea of what it would be like in real life versus just seeing someone else do it or reading about the moves. The beds and couches were also a plus for me, because there is no other program that offers such realistic practice experiences. Additionally, you provided both verbal and physical solutions to all the problems which is a realistic approach. No two situations are alike, so it is best to know as many options as possible.

2013 Participant

Just wanted to let you know how awesome you are. You are making a huge difference! I think you are the only ones who get it.

M.W., PhD

My daughter is signed up for an upcoming session. I just wanted to say that I think your program is a valuable service to the students!

Parent of a participant

I believe this seminar should be a requirement for every senior in high school! It would be an awesome investment.

Parent of a Participant 2015