CVPSD Hosts Vital Self Defense Training for Passaic NJ Hebrew School Students
- William DeMuth
- Dec 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 19
PASSAIC, NJ - Personal safety has become a paramount concern for communities across the nation, the Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense (CVPSD) recently brought its mission to Passaic, hosting a comprehensive training session for students at a local Hebrew School.
The event, which catered to students aged 13 to 17, focused on equipping teenagers with the tools necessary to navigate the modern world with confidence, awareness, and resilience. (The name of the school has been withheld to protect the privacy and safety of the students and administration.)
A Proactive Approach to Safety
For Jewish communities, the need for heightened security awareness is often a lived reality. Recognizing this, the school administration partnered with CVPSD to go beyond standard safety drills. The goal was to provide students with "layered" safety skills a core philosophy of the CVPSD curriculum that emphasizes prevention just as much as physical defense.
"The teenage years are a critical transition period," a representative from CVPSD noted. "Students are gaining more independence, traveling alone more often, and encountering new social dynamics. Our goal is to make sure they have the 'Conflict Intelligence' to spot danger before it escalates."
Beyond Physical Defense: The "Conflict Intelligence" Model
True self-defense is 90% prevention and only 10% physical reaction. The children develop what we call Conflict Intelligence. This involves the "soft skills" that stop violence before it happens.
While physical techniques were taught, the instructors presented a curriculum heavily weighted toward safety and awareness, guiding the 13-to-17-year-old cohort through several key learning modules.
Situational Awareness: Teaching students how to read their environment, identify "pre-incident indicators" (subtle signs of danger), and trust their intuition.
De-escalation Tactics: Strategies to lower the temperature of a confrontation, allowing students to exit a volatile situation safely without resorting to physical force.
Emotional Intelligence: Developing the ability to read non-verbal cues and understand the intent of others. This social awareness helps children distinguish between a playful accident and genuine aggression, allowing them to respond appropriately rather than reactively.
Building Confidence Through "Combatives"
Following the prevention modules, the students participated in age-appropriate physical self-defense training, known in the CVPSD curriculum as "Combatives."
Recognizing that real-world encounters are chaotic, the physical training focused on practical, high-percentage techniques designed for escape. Students practiced escaping from ground holds and learned the mechanics of generating power against a larger aggressor.
The atmosphere in the room shifted from nervous energy to focused determination as the session progressed. By the end of the class, students who had initially been shy were shouting commands and executing defensive maneuvers with visible confidence.
Self Defense Training Resources
About CVPSD
The Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense CVPSD conducts research and education for at-risk people to empower them with the skills needed to protect themselves with both online and live training.
Live conceptual seminars teach the origins of violence and how to assess risk and set boundaries for healthy relationships. Experiential classes teach hands-on interpersonal skills and strategies to prevent and stop assault.
The Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense reaches individuals and communities through partnerships with schools and other nonprofits, community groups, as well as classes for the public.