The Concept

Help survivors of domestic violence rebuild self-esteem and confidence through the teachings of Chinese martial arts.

Tammy Logan almost died at the hands of her abusive husband. He went to prison; she spent the next seven years working to heal herself both physically and emotionally. Early on she became involved in Chinese martial arts and found the discipline, concentration and “life teachings” enormously therapeutic. In seeking a way to help other women like herself, she found herself encouraged by therapists and her martial arts instructor to share what she had experienced.

The Challenge

To translate a therapy that worked for one survivor of domestic violence into a cogent program designed to help many.

At first the idea of teaching martial arts to other abuse victims felt too personal for Tammy, and emotionally she didn’t feel ready. But with time and support and encouragement from others, she has developed a clear and thoughtful program that offers a new approach to the anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and other issues faced by battered women.

How Community Partners Has Helped

Through workshops, trainings and one-on-one consulting with Community Partners’ staff, Tammy Logan has successfully developed a project with clearly stated goals, criteria for enrollment and support from mental health and social service providers in her targeted communities of Burbank and Glendale.

“When I first started out I had so many good ideas, but I would get scattered and I couldn’t prioritize,” says Tammy. “Lupe Solorio (Community Partners’ staff member) helped me prioritize and clarify my goals. And Community Partners’ staff gave me direction and encouragement when I was feeling like things weren’t going well.”

She now has a strong advisory board in place, the support of Burbank Family Services and other local programs which refer clients, and is seeking funding to begin a pilot program through the Burbank YWCA Domestic Violence Program. “Everything’s in place,” she says. “We’re ready to go.”

SOURCE: Community Partners 2001-2002 Biennial Report

PROJECT STATUS: Since its inception as a project of Community Partners in 2001, Friends of Courage United Survivors (FOCUS) has grown to include both martial arts classes and an online discussion forum for victims of domestic violence.

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