What is the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation?
The NWMAF is dedicated to promoting the involvement and empowerment of women and girls—cis and trans/non-binary/gender non-conforming person—who are active in martial arts, self-defense, and healing arts. Their mission: “Empowering women and girls to achieve personal and collective strength, safety, and well-being through martial arts, healing arts, and self-defense education.”
What Does it Mean to be Certified as an Empowerment Self Defense Instructor?
“The NWMAF is a leader in empowerment-based self-defense technology. We offer professional development and credentials to self-defense instructors. From cutting-edge research to best-practices in classroom management, from non-profit service to running an effective business, we can help instructors maximize what they deliver to their students.”
The process of certification for Smart, having already been teaching in the field for some 30+ years included observation of her teaching skill, style, and content, along with hours of class plans, mentorship, and hands-on training. The whole process took about a year.
This certification was important for Smart in her pursuit of professional excellence.