The Story Behind YGG Fitness & Self-Defense

Ginger Rae
Jan 13, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Apr 8

Woman contemplating an empowering future

Hello, my name is Ginger Rae, founder of YGG Fitness and Defense.

My story is unfortunately, no different than millions of other women's stories, yet isolated to one incident. I am a survivor of intimate partner violence. My physical recovery was a mere shadow, to my mental and emotional turmoil of trying to understand...why?

My efforts to find my own answers led to the discovery that women are still viewed as minorities - as "less than" men, and as such, remain targets for violence. This knowledge frustrated and infuriated me.

I was disappointed in myself for the blinders I had been wearing - going along with the socially accepted version of what a woman should be—when deep down, my heart kept whispering, This is not how I define me.

Thus began the personal changes, the desire to bring awareness to intimate partner violence, and to find a way to empower other women.

My martial arts training(or self-defense training in multiple styles), and other fitness activities, have always been my go to source for mental healing, personal strength and growth. During one of my training sessions, I had "the light bulb moment" that led to the creation of YGG Fitness-Self-Defense.

Throughout my martial arts journey, I was one of the few women in a world traditionally dominated by men - participating in disciplines built on the mental and physical traits of men. Yet I held my ground and I surpassed the socially acceptable limits set for me. "If I can rise in these environments, so can every woman."

Here is the anomaly to knowing how to defend yourself: once you posses these skills you will rarely, if ever, need to use them. The confidence, awareness, and self-esteem gained on your journey, expands into your conscious and sub-conscious life. You start to recognize red flags, walk away from toxic dynamics, and make empowered choices to safeguard your mental, emotional, physical, and even financial well-being. Ultimately, you learn to value you - and that changes everything.

The personal journey, and the end results are different for every woman.

But what a beautiful and empowering ride it is in discovering your authentic self!