 "If I had not taken Bill's FAST Defense training, I would not have survived a recent attack and in all likelihood would not be here and have the luxury of writing this well deserved recommendation for what Bill is bringing forward to protect people. Bill's voice and presence were right there, as the assault was occurring, internally coaching me through a horrifying experience. Thank you Bill. You work gave me the skills and presence of mind to navigate a life threatening experience. I am a large man who has trained with navy seal instructors and S.W.A.T., but I survived the attack because of what I learned in Bill's workshops. I am prepared to say you absolutely need the verbal and physical skills from his workshops and trainings and you will find in no other dojo or training anywhere in America. I hope what happened to me never happens to anyone. But if it does, you will thank yourself for having prepared by training with Bill and his team. The verbal skills and the awareness you learn from working with Bill and his team are tools you can use everyday. The physical skills, hopefully you'll only need once in a lifetime, if at all. But you'll thank yourself that you have them."
- Ryan
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Joe Corley,
Former Karate World Champion, Founder of PKA, Battle Of Atlanta
“We just finished a FAST Defense Training with Bill Kipp. Our guys are so energized and so empowered it’s unbelievable! | read more... |
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Stephen K. Hayes,
Black Belt Hall of Fame member and author
I wish I had found this thirty years or so ago. I believe in this method, and in Bill... |
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John Will,
Head Coach BJJ Australia
If you ever have the opportunity to partake of Bill and Debra Kipp's Fast Defense training - DO IT! I've been involved in the martial arts for thirty odd years now... | read more... |
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Dan Millman,
Author, Way of the Peaceful Warrior
In my experience, Bill Kipp's FAST Defense courses are the most effective, accessible, empowering, and inspiring self-defense methodology I've ever seen, and I've seen innumerable others. ... | read more... |
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Dear Mr. Kipp,
I had an experience last week which made me so very grateful that I had taken your FAST Defense class about one year ago. It was actually the second of these classes which I had taken. I found the classes very empowering and worthwhile. Little did I know I would actually have to use the information I learned in them!
I was home last Tuesday morning when my doorbell rang. I looked through the peephole and saw a man who I did not recognize so I decided not to answer. I guessed he was a solicitor and I was busy. He continued to ring the bell several times (my first red flag, though I didn't realize this at the time). A few minutes after the ringing stopped, I heard my dogs barking wildly in the kitchen, which meant they saw someone in our backyard. My inner voice told me not to go outside, but I was still curious if a utility worker may be out there. Another red flag arose. "Would a utility worker be in my backyard without my permission?"
I looked out my bathroom window and saw a man trying to open the service entrance door to my garage. In a firm and steady voice, I asked him what he was doing. He said a water pipe had broke in the street and he had to get to get inside immediately to shut off the water valve in my house. There was nothing about this man's appearance or demeanor that frightened me. He looked like a regular guy trying to do his job except that he didn't have on a uniform or I.D. badge (red flag #3!). He asked me once more with some urgency to please let him to turn off the water. "Didn't my supervisor call you? He was supposed to." All during our conversation I had an inner conversation going on at the same time. I finally decided that there was nothing to decide. I had too many questions and I didn't want to see the danger level raise any higher. I made a point of keeping my voice from sounding high or questioning as I told him to leave. When he implored me once more to let him in, I repeated, "LEAVE NOW!". He said he would just go to his car to get I.D.. He drove away.
When the sheriff arrived, he said it was definitely an attempted break in. I don't think I would have trusted my inner voice had I not taken your classes. I am not by nature a suspicious person. The wonderful thing was that I did not feel paralyzed by fear, I felt strengthened by it. I felt confidence in my suspicions. My husband, children, and friends are also grateful that I took your class.
Sincerely,
Karla Homan
p.s. I'm pretty sure I heard the voices of my FAST Defense classmates cheering me on! |
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FAST CATS Testimonial
"Last week our family experienced a near tragedy that you may have heard about. Our son Dakota was approached by a couple of strangers in a car enticing him to take some candy. This happened very close to our house which made the experience that much more frightening. My son handled the situation in a nearly perfect fashion. He found himself only feet away from two people he did not know, along a sidewalk with a wall, the car door open and feeling pretty uncomfortable. He maintained eye contact, never turned his back to them, did not engage their conversation and cleared himself from the car and returned straight home safely. He was able to describe the car; the two individuals and what they were wearing. I truly believe that at that moment in time Dakota utilized all that he has learned and perhaps without knowing it, projected a sense of confidence and assurance that he was not going to be a victim. I believe that this lead to the decision by his predators that trying to take this kid was simply not going to be worth the trouble. I know you taught this exact concept in FAST CATS and it is very possible that my son is sleeping in his bed, in his house this very evening as a result of what you have taught him. "
Kenneth, Ca |
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Hi Bill,
My name is Sandra, I took your groundfighting class at Northwest Martial Arts on Sunday. I am the tall blond just so you can place the face.
Since yesterday I have been reliving the fights in my mind. Now that I have had a little time to process the event, I feel I need to you write about what happened with me during those fights. The one fight that stands out the best is the first one. When the coach blew the wistle before we finished. She said she thought I was going to hard. This bewildered me at the time, I didn't truely didn't understand. I didn't see her stop anyone else early, but during those fights there is no time for fronts or aires, it is raw emotion. When you called me those names during the fights I remember being pissed off. I remember anger filling up inside me, the fight became so real. After the fights during the break I was approached by Dave. He said he noticed something about me different then the others during the fight. I can't remember the words he used but he told me that my life would be different from that day. He said he could tell that I was fighting something so real. At the time I was amazed that he saw it, I was amazed that I showed it. At the time in all honesty I was even unsure what I had even dealt with, but I knew it was something that was buried for a long time. Having Dave verbalize it just made me emotional, because I knew he was right. Then I watched the video. I was shocked at the look on my face, it was really intense. All aires were gone, there was no putting on a good face there, my anger was totally exposed. I understood then why she blew the whistle, it was so intense and kind of scary.
So I guess what I am trying to say is that this experience has forced me to deal with some issues that I have buried for the last five years. But amazingly enough though now I feel as light as a feather. My ex-husband was very abusive towards me, not alot of physical but a ton of verbal and emotional. Two months before I found the strength to leave him, I had attempted suidcide. When I left him I grew so much but I have been masking or burying my pain and anger from this for the last five years. I have kept this part of my life very secret and hidden. I try every day to stay positive and put it behind me. But I have always felt it with me. When you were calling me those names during the fight, it struck a nerve. The fight became more personal then I would have liked. I am sure you hear this kind of stuff all of the time but I really wanted to share my personal experience. I am reading your book and I feel that is going to help me with my healing. Now my only fear is losing this feeling. I am not sure really where I will go from here. I intend on taking the classes whenever I can. Thank you so much for the experience, I will recommend your program to anyone I know.
Thanks again and god bless!!
Sandra Triglia |
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Hello Mr.Kipp,
I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you! I really enjoyed the classes. You are right, you do get a lot more from the classes then you think. Letting go and releasing my inner voice is going to be the most challenging part of this journey. I have learned to defend myself by keeping everything inside. Mostly because I have not wanted to face my fears and my demons. You see I was a victim as a child several times and I did not know how to protect myself. I learned that if I put myself outside my body that the bad things were not real. If I sat still it would all be over soon. I learned to suppress everything. Unfortunately, this just set me up to be a victim throughout my whole childhood. In school I was the child who was bullied and made fun of. I never knew how to fix this. Sadly, that has not helped me in my adult life. As an adult I gained a lot of weight thinking that I could hide behind the weight. Something snapped in me five years ago and I decided that I wanted to change how I was going to live my life. The first step was to loose the weight. I lost 80lbs and this helped but still did not take away that deep pain and fear. You see the person who hurt me as a child has never been confronted and never charged for any crimes. I still see this person (not as often as I used to, but on occasion). The scary thing about these classes is that it took me back to that place. I could feel that uncomfortable feeling that I have felt my whole life when I saw this person. After taking this class, I realize that I do not have to be that victim anymore. I realize that I still have a long way to go but I know that I can get there.
I think that this a program that is very important for every person at every age to take. I wish that I had some of these skills as a child, but I can not change the past I can only change the future. I sent my son through the program and I will send my daughter through in a year. I will continue to pass the word on about the program because I am a true believer in the success of it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Christina Rodriguez |
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Bill,
It was great! As well as the whole concept and practice of F.A.S.T. Phil and Kathy made all the difference to me. Even though I don't have other instructors to compare them to I know they've got to be in the top 1 percent. Phil's scenarios and "costumes" not only made everything more real, but they also made the 4 hours move so fast that it felt like we were there for only an hour or two.
Kathy knows her stuff inside and out, without a doubt and explained perfectly to all of us the what, how and when. She's got a dynamic personality and I think she was more excited than we were. She and Phil make a fantastic team.
I wish every man, woman and child could take this course and turn the punk population into a declining demographic. I'm probably going to repeat at some point and next time I'll do my best to bring some people with me.
Sincerely,
Bette BonFleur
Winter Park, FL |
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Hello and Happy Monday Bill,
I am contacting you regarding the FAST Self Defense class I completed on Saturday March 8th.
I have never completed a self defense class, and as a single and small woman, I found the idea behind FAST intriguing, but still doubted my abilities walking into it.
I was AMAZED at how much I learned and the progress that I made in only a matter of hours. Each scenario that Phil created reminded me of situations I've experienced while out and about, and I walked out the door feeling much more prepared, than I ever have before, if faced with those situations again.
I wanted to let you know what a valuable experience this was and ensure you knew what a phenomenal team you have in Phil and Kathy. Kathy's passion for this program gains buy in right out the gate, and Phil
somehow pulls off a balance of making you feel welcome and safe, but them adrenalizing you to the point of wanting to beat the crap out of him. Their talent was a direct factor in my ability to open up to the ideas presented and my progress.
My experience on Saturday will ensure my lifetime participation in this course. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and feel free to pass my feedback on to Phil and Kathy.
Thanks and Regards,
Jennifer Curtiss
Business Information Security Officer
Financial Reporting Operations |
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Dear Mr. Bill Kipp,
My name is Colt Williams. I am a black belt candidate training under the wonderful instruction of KJN Nathan Slater and SBM Denice Slater at Martial Arts on the Move. Last year I attended two of your FAST Defense classes and had an absolute BLAST!
Although I wouldn't mind reminiscing on the fun that I've had and things I've learned from you, the purpose of this email was to tell you that you have been an inspiration to me. I realized just how much thought and effort went into the design and construction of both the class, and the Bullet Man suit. The effective combination provided me (and probably many other students as well) a life-changing experience. The fact that you were able to change my entire mentality regarding my physical ability is absolutely astonishing.
You have inspired me, Mr. Kipp. You changed my outlook on many things and forced me to think about countless others. After the class, I had changed. I walked out of that dojo as a different person. I hope that someday I will be able to inspire and help others the way that you have inspired and changed me.
Thank you for being such an inspiration!
Colt Williams |
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Dear Bill,
I want to thank you for the FAST Defense training, it was invaluable and I now know how not to be a victim. I have had some incidents in the past with individuals who were less than well meaning and would not leave me alone (Sometimes I feel like a jerk magnet) and I suppose this is not an uncommon story amongst women whom take your course. Well, I have a new chapter to add, but it went much better than it has in the past, thanks to both the dedication of yourself and Chris and everyone who has made FAST Defense training possible.
This past Saturday I needed to employ the verbal defense training that you gave us. I was walking out of the Pepsi Center after a Colorado Mammoth Lacrosse game. It was just my mother and I, and we were walking in a sparse crowd to the car. We were walking our usual pace when I heard a man shout come-on line “Hey, Ladies, how did you like the game?” in a leering manner. We kept walking however I remained alert, no sure to whom he was speaking (this man was clearly drunk) then he shouted “Hey I’m not leaving you alone until you talk to me!” in an extremely brutal manner. Two girls behind me gasped and ran, afraid of him. I turned around and hollered “What do you want?” with my hands up as you had taught us. He returned with and even more brutal voice that “I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I WANT. WHAT I WANT IS TO TALK TO THAT WOMAN NEXT TO YOU!” He was talking about my mother, I felt the adrenaline in my chest but I stood my ground. I told him “No, she doesn’t want to and all we want to do is pass thorough and go home.” he then came loping up and I yelled at him to “stay back.” He did and shirked away from me guarding his face (he was clearly drunk). My mother then turned around and recognized him as someone vaguely familiar from work. They exchanged greetings. Even though my mother knew him, I kept my distance as his intentions were not clear. An introduction was forced and he got in my face (still keeping his distance away from me as I kept my hands up and feet poised) and he then told me I better “watch” myself because I could get hurt, I told him I can take care of myself and he should not speak to people like that and there are better ways, especially when you know the person and he should not employ such a threatening manner. He apologized for his behavior and backed off to continue a conversation with my mother (I put my hands down slightly but kept my stance) and she explained to him that I took a self-defense course, he mocked at me and I said that is not appropriate behavior and he stopped but continued to keep his distance and eyed me to make sure I didn’t come towards him. I kept my personal space, he continued a small conversation with my mother and he went on to say how brutal and rude I was, I said “Good, I do not like you and I want you to leave.” He said “Damn you’re brutal.” He took the hint though and the conversation with my mother ended shortly, he then turned to me (I put my hands up) and he had the nerve to ask me to hang out with him and I told him “NO, LEAVE NOW” and I stepped towards him. He started and then began to stagger away and kept repeating how rude and brutal I am and that my mother should “do something about me” however my mother returned by saying “Why? She is just protecting herself.” We looked at each other and stated what a jerk he was and continued on our way.
In all it seems like this incident went on forever but was probably only 5 minutes total. I want to tell you that this would not have gone like this before my FAST defense training, I would have fallen victim to his advances and apologized for my “rude” behavior, letting him be in control and just taken his verbal abuse. But that is not what happened, I took a stand for myself and I feel like I am in control now, I do not feel like a victim, I do not act like a victim and I do not have to tolerate being treated poorly and I can stick up for myself. In short, I am de-magnetizing myself as a jerk magnet and never has it felt better. My life is changing for the better thanks to just a one-day course and yes, I do plan on taking more courses from you.
Sincerely,
Brenda Hoisington |
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Dear John [Liz & John Durning in PA, FAST Represantatives],
My seven year old son Carl has been taking karate and F.A.S.T. Defense classes with you since last fall. I'd like to tell you about an incident that happened to Carl this past summer. During a field trip to the Philadelphia Zoo with his summer YMCA camp he had a chance to use some of the lessons learned in his F.A.S.T. classes.
Carl was part of a large camp class, spending July 11 at the zoo. During a bathroom stop with his group, the counselors failed to do a complete head count, leaving Carl alone in one of the zoo bathrooms. Upon exiting the bathroom, he realized he was alone and, instead of panicking, he immediately thought of his checklist from the F.A.S.T class. He spent a couple minutes looking around to make sure his group was gone, and then began to look for the first "safe" choice on his list of people to ask for help. .a woman with children (humorous aside, he later told me he couldn't find any families he liked). He remembered not to go into buildings with strangers, even if it is the helpful-appearing Security Guard, not to show signs of panic, etc. Eventually he found two female zookeepers who wound up escorting him to the Information Center. He was later reunited with a very panicked YMCA group.
I'm very proud of how level-headed Carl remained in a stressful situation. He wound up being more adult than the people responsible for his safety. His ability to remain calm and go through his checklist is a testimonial to the effectiveness of his F.A.S.T. Defense training. I highly recommend it for every child.
Thanks again,
Kevin Bligan Wayne, Pa. |
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Liz and John Durning recently came to our synagogue to teach the “FAST Defense” self defense course to our children. Their presentation was positively stellar! Over 20 students participated, and during the two and a half hours, they were all fully engrossed by the Durnings’ teachings. Liz and John are very knowledgeable in their craft, as well as being excellent educators. Not only did the children learn how to behave in a challenging situation, but the parents in the audience also learned a great deal.
We’ve asked the Durnings to return to present this important subject again. They are both wonderful to watch, terrific teachers, and capable of talking to and teaching any age group. We hope they will return again soon.
Regards,
Betsy Cohen
Representative |
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FAST Works!
It happened the night after I took the F.A.S.T. Defense class at the “MAX Family Training Center” run by Liz and John Durning, in Ardmore. I had just finished a kickboxing class there, and was walking back to my car. When this 30’ish big guy approached me and said “Hi.” Since I was so close to my car, I didn’t pay him any mind and just jumped in and rode off, thinking I was so smart to have lost him. Little did I know how naïve I was.
Before going home, I stopped off at the grocery store. As I got out of my car, I noticed a black sports car pull in just two spots away from me. Startled, I looked up in shock to find the same big guy getting out of his car. He started walking towards me, saying things like “ Hey baby, how're ya doin’ tonight? Wanna get some groceries with me?” I was scared...frozen to the spot...when I remembered the techniques I’d learned from the F.A.S.T Defense class the previous day. I got in my “ready stance” and raised up my hands and said “What do you want?” in my most forceful voice. The man was a little scared, but didn’t yet back off. “What Do You Want?” I yelled again. This time, he started shrinking away a bit, but didn’t leave me alone. “I just wanna talk to ya, honey,” he muttered. “STOP!” I said. I stood up tall and straight, putting on my meanest face and said again “I’m NOT interested-BACK OFF!” I was making so much noise that the man began backing up. At this time, I noticed a boy from the store, collecting the shopping carts. Seizing the opportunity, I began yelling and waving my arms to attract his attention. When he started coming over to see what all the fuss was about, the scary man quickly headed back to his car. Under the safety of the bewildered store employee, I jumped into my car and sped away into the night, thanking GOD for F.A.S.T Defense.
If I had not taken this class, I would not have known what to do in such a situation. Most likely, I would have cowered, frozen mute, and done nothing. Something terrible could have happened that night, but thanks to this class, I knew what to do, and escaped safe and sound.
Sarah D. age 18 |
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