What if I told you your power doesn’t come from being strong, but from being safe?

In this week's podcast episode, I sat down with Laurien Zurhake, a martial arts expert, educator, and absolute powerhouse and we cracked open a conversation that completely flipped the narrative around self-defense, trauma, and what it really means for women to reclaim their bodies.

We talked about trauma-informed spaces, patriarchal systems in martial arts, and how competition without collaboration has hurt more women than it’s helped.

And if you’ve ever felt like the world wasn’t built for your softness, your intuition, your rhythm—this one’s for you.

We didn’t just talk about martial arts… We also dove into:

• Why trauma-informed practice isn’t optional (it’s the foundation for true growth and safety)

• How martial arts can be a powerful tool for healing but only in the right environment

• Why women still face invisible barriers in male-dominated training spaces and how we can change that

• How ecological dynamics reshape the way we learn, move, and relate to our bodies

• How collaboration beats competition (and why a scarcity mindset is keeping women small).

• How healing starts when the nervous system finally feels safe enough to exhale.

• How even children pick up on safety cues and what that tells us about the environments we create

• Why women make incredible leaders in martial arts and why it’s time we stop asking for permission.

🎙️ Listen Now

This conversation is a must-listen if you: 👉 Want to understand how trauma impacts performance + confidence 👉 Are craving safe, supportive spaces to grow your strength 👉 Believe in business (and life) that honors both power and softness

Meet Laurien

Originally from the Netherlands, Laurien studied (Ancient) History in Nijmegen and at Oxford University (Brasenose College) and pursued a PhD in Munich (topic was Pain Behaviour). She met there her husband on the martial arts mats and due to sexual harassment by their headcoach, Laurien and her husband Alex decided to open their own Trauma Informed Martial Arts and Yoga School. Since that approach is still in its infancy in the martial arts domain, Laurien created her online platform Off the Zone, where she helps martial arts coaches, athletes and gym owners become trauma informed and how to implement effective safeguarding measures so that everyone can train hard and thrive safely.

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