To Whom It May Concern:

I am an owner of a small business that requires me to travel frequently.  I am always loaded down with sample bags that are heavy, putting me in even more vulnerable situations, especially with late flights and dark parking spots.  On top of that, I love to run early in the morning or if I’m out of town, at the end of the day in areas unfamiliar to me.   Therefore, taking a Self Defence course had been on my bucket list for a long time.   As it turns out… it had been on all of my girlfriends bucket list as well.  

I put out an e-mail to all the women in my life that I love and encouraged them to bring along friends or family.  As life has it, so many had other commitments, but we ended up with seven women which was wonderful.  James and Louisa are absolutely the perfect pair to teach this course.  They are passionate about what they’re doing and keeping “all women safe”.   Incredible! 

We shifted our furniture around so there was lots of space.  You need about the same size as you would for a yoga class.  Possibly less.  The women absolutely LOVED it.   The room was energized.  All of us agreed that there have been so many times in our life where we were in situations where your heart beats fast, the adrenaline starts to pump and you think to yourself “how did I get into this?”  or  “how did I allow this to happen to me”.  Easy!  Stalkers are always a step ahead, because they are consumed with it.   James and Louisa teach  “be aware” and “here’s how to avoid it happening to you” and if it does happen, here’s what you do… and these are tools using your head and body parts in ways you never could imagine.  You don’t have to be strong or fit.  This course is for any age.   One of the women that came to our evening is riddled with arthritis so she just wanted to be a spectator.  She had been encountered with a road rage incident recently and had actually stepped out of her car.   She watched for maybe 10 minutes, then jumped up from her seat and said “I can do this!”  When she left, she thanked us over and over again saying “I had no idea I would learn so much.  Thank  you!  I will approach day to day life so differently now.

Other comments were:

“Fabulous night!”   It was worth the price in the first 15 minutes.

“So far beyond what I expected”

“These are life skills that should be mandatory in every high school.  It would save so many girls from date rapes and all other assaults on them.

“Every girl/ woman needs to know this”

And every woman that attended that had a daughter was so regretful that they didn’t bring them.

As they left they were begging me to do it again, soon.   They all said we should get together and practice so it all becomes secondary nature. They’re right!

For me, I can say that I had no idea how short a course it is (2 ½ hours) and how incredibly valuable it would be.  I am so happy I finally did this and regret not doing it years sooner.  I realize now how extremely lucky I have been in my fifty years (plus).

So girls… Forget Book Club for an evening… or yoga… or the movies and DO THIS!  Your friends will love you for it.  

All I can say is “what a night to remember”

Thank you again James & Louisa.  You are both amazing and you’re “giving back” in one of the most important ways I can think of. 

Shurli