Fight Back. Stand Strong. Stay Safe.

Raquel Riley Thomas, a decorated U.S. Army Captain (Veteran) and dedicated Taekwondo martial artist, transformed personal tragedy into a mission of empowerment. Following the devastating loss of her mother to suicide in March 2013, Raquel uncovered a painful truth—her mother had been a survivor of assault. Having faced similar trauma herself, Raquel refused to stay silent. Instead, she launched DefendRILEY, a powerful initiative committed to providing hands-on self-defense training and personal safety education for women and girls around the world.

As a red belt in Taekwondo, Raquel actively mentors and instructs young students through a national Taekwondo program, instilling confidence, discipline, and resilience. With a goal to earn her black belt and become a Master Instructor, she is now working to transition DefendRILEY into a nonprofit organization that will offer scholarships and expand access to life-saving self-defense education.

Mission Statement:

DefendRILEY is committed to empowering women and girls through hands-on self-defense training, personal safety education, and confidence-building strategies. We equip individuals with the skills and mindset to fight back, stand strong, and stay safe, transforming survivors into warriors and creating a world where no woman feels powerless.

Vision Statement:

To build a global community where every woman and girl feels protected, confident, and resilient—regardless of their past. Through education, mentorship, and advocacy, DefendRILEY envisions a future where self-defense is not a privilege, but a right accessible to all.

Advocacy for Change: Making Self-Defense Education a Right, Not a Privilege

At DefendRILEY, we believe self-defense is more than a skill—it’s a necessity. That’s why we are calling for legislation requiring all colleges to offer self-defense as an elective and for middle and high schools to provide self-defense training as part of their core curriculum.

Too many young women enter adulthood unprepared to protect themselves. By integrating self-defense into our education system, we can give every student—regardless of background—the tools to fight back, stand strong, and stay safe.

Here’s how you can help:

Sign our petition to lawmakers
Share your personal story to raise awareness
Join the DefendRILEY movement and become an advocate in your community

Together, we can turn this initiative into a national mandate. Let’s protect the next generation—one class at a time.