What ages can attend?

The class is open to women and girls ages 12 and up; minors should attend with a guardian when required by the waiver.

Do I need prior experience?

No. The workshop is suitable for beginners and intermediate students; techniques are scaled to body size and ability.

Bring comfortable clothing, closed-toe shoes, a water bottle, and any required medical notes; waiver completion is needed on arrival.

Are classes hands-on?

Yes. Expect close-contact partner drills, padded mat work, and controlled scenario practice with instructor feedback.

Can I attend while pregnant or with mobility limits?

Inform the instructor ahead of class; Veronica provides modifications for pregnancy and mobility concerns to keep training safe.

How many people are in a class?

Class sizes are intentionally small to ensure hands-on coaching and personalized corrections.

Women's Self-Defense Workshop: Practical Confidence Training with Veronica Douglas in Hickory | Workshop | Events

Adventure Brief

Learn practical escapes, awareness strategies, and confidence-building drills in a focused three-hour workshop led by Veronica Douglas at Springs Road Gun Club. Designed for ages 12+ and ideal for mothers and daughters, this session emphasizes realistic, repeatable techniques for everyday encounters.

3 hours

moderate

From $37.10

At 3462 Springs Rd NE in Hickory, North Carolina, the Women's Self-Defense Workshop with instructor Veronica Douglas turns three hours into a concentrated curriculum of awareness, escape techniques, and real-world drills. Held inside the training space at Springs Road Gun Club, the class is designed for women and girls ages 12 and up, including mother–daughter pairs seeking practical skills and shared confidence.

The session opens with a concise primer on situational awareness and boundary-setting, followed by partner exercises that teach breakaways, wrist releases, low-line strikes, and simple displacement techniques built for everyday encounters. Instructors use padded mats and controlled scenario practice to let participants feel force and timing without risk; a classroom segment covers safe verbal de-escalation and when to seek help. Veronica Douglas blends clear, repeatable mechanics with drills that scale to body size and mobility, so students leave with muscle memory rather than theory.

What makes this offering stand out in Hickory’s outdoor and community-sports scene is its accessibility and focus on realistic outcomes. Instead of flashy or athletic-only moves, the workshop emphasizes small, reliable responses that work in cramped spaces, parking lots, and trailheads — places local women actually move through. The workshop’s venue at Springs Road Gun Club adds another layer: a community of outdoor-safety-minded people and a practical training footprint that supports both range skills and personal defense education.

Nearby, Hickory’s foothill landscape and easy access to Lake Hickory and several greenways make this an attractive stop for visitors who want to pair skill-building with outdoor recreation. The class is also a good fit for travelers passing through who need a concise, effective session timed to a 3-hour window.

Practical details: bring comfortable athletic clothing, closed-toe shoes, and a refillable water bottle; expect close contact partner drills and low-impact physical exertion. The class is suitable for beginners and intermediate students; Veronica offers adjustments for pregnancy, mobility concerns, and different fitness levels. Small class sizes mean hands-on coaching and rapid feedback — ideal for learners who prefer doing over watching.

For women and girls who want defensible actions, situational confidence, and community-backed instruction, this workshop delivers measurable skills in a short time. It’s not a black-belt bootcamp; it’s a pragmatic primer that leaves students safer, steadier, and ready to handle real-world situations with calm and clarity.

Participants are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early to sign waivers and warm up; the workshop keeps a low student-to-instructor ratio so Veronica can correct posture and tailor techniques. Men are not the target audience for this class, which focuses on size-appropriate leverage and escape options. Families report the class strengthens communication and skill, and repeat attendees return for refresher sessions and private coaching tailored to workplace and trail-specific scenarios safely.

About Springs Road Gun Club

Springs Road Gun Club in Hickory, North Carolina offers hands-on firearms training and range experiences for beginners through experienced shooters. The club features a variety of courses including AR-15 Carbine, AK-47 Carbine, Combat Practical Carbine, Home Defense Handgun, NRA Basic Rifle Course, NRA Shotgun Instructor Course, Basic Firearms Course, Run Your Rifle Series: AR-15 Carbine, Response To An Active Shooter, and Private Instruction. Training formats combine classroom instruction, live-fire range practice, full-auto demonstrations, and one-on-one private sessions.

Instruction covers fundamental topics such as safety, operation, ammunition selection, malfunction clearing, combat zeroing, target acquisition, and basic maintenance, plus platform-specific subjects like AR-15 and AK-47 variants, customization, and Class 3 firearm overviews. The NRA Shotgun Instructor Course includes a certification exam and instructional materials. The Run Your Rifle Series is led by Chief Instructor Thomas Chambers and focuses on self-defense applications for the AR-15 platform.

Course lengths vary from one-hour private sessions to multi-hour workshops and a ten-hour instructor course, accommodating diverse schedules and training goals. Several beginner-focused offerings combine classroom learning with hands-on range time and explicitly welcome new shooters. Safety and practical skill development are emphasized across all sessions, with participants gaining both technical knowledge and scenario-based response training for home defense and active shooter situations. Springs Road Gun Club provides structured, platform-specific curricula and personalized instruction in Hickory, NC, designed to improve competence, confidence, and responsible firearm handling. Students can expect clear guidance, practical drills, individualized feedback, and an emphasis on safe, legal firearm ownership.