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Safe Defense is the result of my experience in traditional self-defense, True self-defense, conflict resolution, and mediation.  47 years now. I believe I have invented a safe & common language for practicing peace: Heiwado (Peace way).

 I was bullied violently in a central California middle school by a student-athlete. I have known that fear, that terror really. In my early 20s I found martial arts and took to it like a dry sponge in water. I got my first Black belt in 1984 and purchased my teacher's (Hanchi Bruce Juchnik) 2 commercial schools and ran them until I suffered knee injury.  Juchnik followed Mitose and Kosho Shorei Kenpo which promoted the idea of 'True' self-defense as protecting yourself without injuring the attacker. That had an appeal.

In 1998 I co-founded the Peace Learning Center (PLC)  in Indianapolis hoping  to connect the non-violent  approach  to  self protection that  Kosho’s  True  self-defense  promoted with a conflict resolution/peacemaking practice. First, I needed a language, and what was available was Non-Violent communication (NVC) and I needed an ecology; how things work together (or not). The language is now laid out clearly with Guiding Questions. The ecology is PeaceDNA and how it all fits together and how things effect each other.  As the Director of our Peace Education program for 10 years, I had unique  opportunity with AmeriCorps members to develop the peace education program: STEP. 

After PLC, I evolved STEP into PeaceDNA for conflict resolution and then extended the range of reply (the scope of self-defense) to form a True self-defense:  FOUL Buster, Kanji Listening & Conflict Fake Fact FOUL breaker.  PeaceDNA is conflict resolution and central to what is now Safe Defense. It is now a solid and reliable bridge between FOULing, Fighting Back and Creating Peace Agreement.

At the PLC I served as General Manager for the first 2 years, then as Director of Peace Education Program for 8 more. Over the 10 years, the  program directly served over 8,000  Indianapolis  Public School  youth  mandated  to  our  field-trip  program  serviced  by  AmeriCorp  volunteers.    My  final 2 PLC  years I started up and managed  a satellite school (PLC North) in Lawrence IN.  In those  2 years we directly served 1,200 public school students. 

I've several Certifications and Qualifications in various  Karate styles  and in Conflict Resolution  including 40/hr Community Mediation, Restorative Justice Conferencing, Help Increase the Peace Program (HIPP)  and  Prem  Rawat’s  program.    I've actively served as formal mediator and session coordinator for Indianapolis Juvenile Court system (1999) and community witness in several Restorative Justice sessions.  

I personally feel an obligation to make clear what is True Self Defense.  A 'True' self-defense means to  protect  yourself  without  injuring  your  attacker (J. Mitose). How to stay  safe  and navigate Conflict to Peace Agreement.  My unique background of martial arts and Conflict Resolution have inspired a unique and comprehensive curriculum for learning  how to be a real-world Peacemaker...for yourself and others.  Safe Defense is a safe and common language for everyone.

A wise man (and 21st bloodline descendant) James Mitose wrote: "True self defense is to protect yourself without injuring your attacker."  This challenge of not harming my attacker seemed at first ridiculous to the  martial artist in me.   Why spend my time practicing martial arts self-defense  if I'm going to try and talk my way through whatever it was? Shouldn't I be practicing that?

Surprisingly there was nothing helpful I could find when it came to non-violent self-defense besides escape.  I put Peace Moves together for the purpose of fixing that. Staying unharmed without fighting back and using a de-escalation FOUL Buster, followed with PeaceDNA (if desired), leads to Peace Agreement. Peace Moves uses natural movement and requires much less practice to use.