Stephanie Cyr
Stephanie Cyr is an attorney and educator with over 25 years' experience as a specialist in violence prevention education, personal safety and empowerment.
Stephanie is a Faculty Lecturer of Personal Defense at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and the ESD Global Program Manager responsible for the international team developing a University Accredited Minor Degree in Empowerment Self Defense (ESD). She is a member of the SFSU Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition and works closely with the Health Promotion & Wellness office and the SAFE Place to provide trauma informed workshops for the campus community. Stephanie also serves as a consultant to the San Francisco Unified School District and has written self defense curriculum and trained instructors for the secondary school physical education department. Currently, she is collaborating with academics from other countries to further violence prevention research.
In addition to her work in academia, Stephanie is a Senior Facilitator and curriculum writer for PAVE Prevention, an organization dedicated to providing healthier non-violent work environments in the private and public sector. She serves as a Board Advisor to ESD Global, Inc. and as a member of Joyful Heart Foundation dedicated to supporting survivors of gender based violence.
Stephanie is the founder of Edge Self Defense and the author of The Weekly Edge and Moves of the Day. She has been featured at WorldWideWomen’s Girls Festival SF 2019 and as a speaker at the Violence Prevention Education Conference 2021 and on the PAVE Prevention blog, Disrupting the Dominoes. Before she turned to teach full-time, Stephanie was a practicing attorney. This unique background and instruction in the relevant case law round out her comprehensive approach.
Stephanie is a practicing martial artist with nearly thirty years of experience across more than 10 different martial arts with certification in Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Krav Maga. She is a graduate of Dr. Elizabeth Stanley’s MMFT course in trauma informed pedagogy and a certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Stephanie studied Public Leadership at Harvard University Continuing Education and holds a Juris Doctor with Honor from University of Maryland School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from Rutgers University.
Learn more about Stephanie at https://www.edgeselfdefense.org, https://www.powerupmoves.com or on instagram @strengthwithinselfdefense
Teaching
- KIN 158:01/02 Personal Defense