Martial Arts instructor specializing in Women’s Self Defense, Church Security Team training and Taekwondo. In 2014, Master Lawrence and I created a self defense program at the request of a father wanting his daughter to develop so skills before going off to college. The 1st seminar was very informative and well done but we have improved upon it every session. Over the years we developed a 5 step approach to self defense: Awareness, Avoidance, Break Away/Get Away, Fight and Support/Report. Most recently, we developed a relationship with the local women’s shelter to help discuss the support options. In 2021 and 2022 our Women’s Self Defense program has been featured on local news: 13 On Your Side, Fox 17 News, M-Live and the Muskegon Chronicle. In 2021, while I was preparing for a Women’s Self Defense Seminar, I was asked if I ever teach Men’s Self Defense. This person was a member of a local Church Security Team and explained he wanted to fill the gap between a peaceful church service and an active shooter situation. I explained to him it was not self defense he was looking for and I would have to develop a whole new program for that. After a year of research and development, my team created a new program for church security teams. The program is broken up into 3 separate sessions, between 3 and 4 hours each. The final session, we review everything from session 1 and 2 and then work on weapon retention. We found the standard holsters the team was using for concealed carry, were easy to defeat. This was eye opening for the team. I then showed them what a difference a level 3 hostler makes. We aren’t training the use of the firearm, but we needed to be able to teach tactics that always keeps the presence of a firearm in mind. In 2014, Master Lawrence and I founded Aspire Taekwondo. We have produced over 40 National Championships with multiple championships in each of the 3 major categories: Sparring, Forms and Board Breaking. We are proud of the fact we have produced the most successful and well rounded group of athletes in West Michigan. Most schools focus on a specific area of expertise like sparring or forms and choose not to put much effort into the other areas. We have identified our individual instructor’s strengths and assigned them those areas to teach. With this philosophy, our instructors happiness shines through and makes their classes more fun to be in. In 2022, we were voted the Best Martial Arts Instruction and Location in West Michigan through the Grand Haven Tribunes People’s Choice Awards.