Led by survivors and grounded in principles of care and equity.
Survivor-led, trauma-informed, and rooted in Northern Colorado
Led by survivors and grounded in principles of care and equity.
Survivor-led, trauma-informed, and rooted in Northern Colorado
Cor Defense was founded by survivors who know what it means to live through violence and what it takes to heal.
Our programs blend body-based training with practices that support the nervous system, making safety and confidence accessible to everyone.
Healing that goes beyond skills
Most traditional programs focus only on physical skills, while clinical settings can feel intimidating or out of reach. Cor Defense bridges the gap. We meet in community spaces - not clinics - so survivors, kids, and families can learn in a place that feels safe, welcoming, and free of stigma.
Why We Train
The most damaging part of trauma is the loss of control. The most healing step is regaining a sense of it. Our training activates the limbic system — the part of the brain engaged during traumatic events — and creates new patterns of confidence, strength, and choice. For many survivors, this work is the missing piece alongside or beyond traditional therapy.
Why Krav Maga (with care)
We use techniques from Krav Maga because they are instinctive, repeatable, and adaptable to different abilities. This makes them easier to learn and apply under stress. While we draw from Krav Maga, we are not tied to any outside organization. What matters is that the movements are practical and trauma-informed.
Why “Cor Defense”?
Why not "Cor Self-Defense?"
The name comes from cor, the Latin word for “courage.” We intentionally avoid the term “self-defense,” because survivors of interpersonal violence are never to blame for not knowing techniques. Violence happens because someone chooses to be violent. Our work is about healing and courage, not victim-blaming.
Our Mission
Empower people to heal from interpersonal violence through defense training.
Our core values
These values guide everything we do — from how we train, to how we lead, to how we care for survivors.
Courage
Moving forward even in the presence of fear.
Cor is the Latin root for courage, and it means heart. Courage is facing your fears and showing up, but it’s also listening to your heart and acting on what you need. It takes courage to find and use your voice, and it’s normal to question whether you have it. Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s moving forward in the presence of it. We are cultivators of courage.
Equity
Safety and healing are human rights, not privileges.
Equity is having access to the opportunities and resources needed to thrive. We believe if you have access to what you need, you can reach your full potential. At Cor Defense, we commit to listening, learning, and unlearning so we can provide the tools you need to flourish. Victim-blaming has no place here. What happened was not your fault — your brain responded to abnormal stress, and we want to help it heal.
Power
Power means reclaiming choice, voice, and dignity.
You have the power to set the pace of your training. To pause, process, push forward, and decide what comes next. You control how far you go with this work and what you choose to do with your healing. This is your journey. We’ll be with you in the pauses, the processing, and the pushing forward.
Our Vision
We envision a community where survivors are able to live their lives freely and confidently.
Meet our instructors
Our instructors, Andrea and Lonnie Person, are certified through the Krav Maga Foundation as Civilian and Children’s Instructors, each with 180+ dedicated hours of training, plus countless hours as practitioners. Both are also certified Trauma-Informed Care Trainers through the Wellpoint Care Network.
Andrea brings more than 10 years of experience in human services, including working with children who have experienced sexual violence. Her lived experience as a childhood survivor of sexual and domestic violence, combined with retraumatizing experiences in traditional defense training, fuel her passion to provide trauma-informed programs that heal rather than harm.
Our Board of Directors
A peer-led organization
Our board is composed of individuals whose lives have been personally touched by interpersonal violence, whether through their own experiences or those of someone they love.
We also formed an Advisory Committee as an independent sounding board, welcoming survivors, family members, community members, and partners to help shape our work.
Our anti-discrimination policy
Cor Defense intends to provide meaningful access to our programs.
Cor Defense complies with applicable federal and state non-discrimination laws. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, language, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of our activities or operations — including staffing, volunteers, vendors, or services.
We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone we work with and serve. Cor Defense makes reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and will modify policies and programs as needed to ensure equal opportunity for participation.