AMAMZING training - thank you thanks for teaching us and learned a lot Hope to see you guys again read more

This class was so helpful! going home more self aware and with new skills. thank you, Joseph!

Class was great, thank you! Really cool workshop. Learned some new things, in a safe environment. Super important info

Great tips for simple self defense using moves from martial arts. Instructor Miles was patient and thorough during the free, hour-long class at Golden Gate branch library. Thank you! read more

Joseph was super comprehensive & professional. I learned a lot from the class. It was a positive and safe environment to learn some self defense and I definitely want to learn more. Thank you Joseph ! read more

Really helpful, super trainer! 3 basic steps in 60 minutes, well done, patient, I feel that I need to practice more

Grateful for the lesson! Helpful techniques and practice for everyone and every ability

Took a class as part of professional development and really appreciate what I learned. The techniques were explained clearly and there was plenty of practice time. Also appreciated the explanation of the legality of when to use these techniques. read more

Took a class that was offered at the library. I thought the instructor was patient, went slow, and was good at reading the room on where everyone was. My only feedback would be to set the stage at the beginning more clearly since there seemed to be some confusion on what the class was and the goal. read more

Joseph was our trainer and he made it so fun! Learned a lot from the one hour class!!

This was excellent. I'm so glad to take this class. One good tip was carrying a pen when walking. I want to take it again cause one hour is not enough read more

They came to my company for a self defense class. Easy to understand instructions with good practices!

Just completed an awesome self defense class arranged by our company's wellness group. Joseph was our instructor and I feel we learned so much!!! read more

Great experience at SF Hillel! Learned a lot. Thanks for the lesson. Highly recommend.

Amazing class at Sigma Computing. Joseph and Urmi were very professional and helpful while teaching the self defense class!

Hosted a great class for our company! Super helpful and came out with a lot of great tips for self defense!

After receiving our first class from Joseph and Sunny, I feel more inspired and motivated to practice self-defense. It has always been in the back of my mind, however, I now feel more empowered to learn and develop my safety-awareness toolkit. Joseph and Sunny walked us through very realistic scenarios, engaged us in strategic movements, and guided us in exercises that strengthened our situational awareness. As a Filipinx therapist working in the community, I am proud to have participated in their training and am looking forward to many more! read more

Joseph did a Zoom session for my workplace. I've never done a class like this remotely before. It was great! Joesph is hilarious and kept us moving. It's not something I would naturally gravitate towards in a remote environment but Joseph made it work. Highly recommend checking it out. My family and I intend to check out more classes and hopefully in-person sessions as CA reopens. read more

Wonderful training -- they led a self defense training for our staff that was very informative and had practical tips and strategies. (and it was fun!) read more

Great job training our staff! Very informative, learner a lot. Clearly executed, well done

With the rise of anti-Asian violence and a daughter headed to college this fall, I thought a self defense class would be smart. We took part in a 1 hour family self defense class at Kapwa Gardens in SF and I cannot recommend it enough. My kids and I have NO formal martial arts training so I was a bit anxious. However, Joseph and his team provided practical advice and techniques. My kids (teens) were into it, and we were not in the least self conscious as we focused on the techniques. They were also funny but made sure that we acquired the basic and practical skills like practicing yelling out loud and being assertive. It seems like common sense but it helped to have someone break it down for us. We have been practicing at home! read more

I took a Self Defense Workshop organized by AWRC. It has been incredibly fun and practical! With the increasing anti-Asian crimes, or crimes in general, it is unfortunately a very useful skill to have. I particularly enjoyed the three different scenarios and the hands-on practice. Yelling is a practice that I usually ignored. I'm glad that Joseph and Sunny insisted us yelling out loud. The tips about paper spray was also valuable. Highly recommended! I'm considering making more classes from them. read more

Took intro at library on Cole Street. Great class and instructors. Very patient and encouraging. Would love to have them back for some more advanced stuff. read more

Joseph put on a corporate self defense workshop for a women's group at my company. He did a wonderful job keeping the event light, interactive and still very useful. In 90 minutes, we got the basics, learnt a lot to help us feel safer and were also able to bond well as a team. He was super easy to work with and very flexible (did the class at our location). Highly recommend! read more

Amazing self defense class offered at the Park Branch library! Learned some great principles and would love to learn more!

I invited Joseph to do a self defense class at my preschool for the staff. I saw reviews that were positive but really didn't know what to expect. Let me tell you, Joseph and his assistant are great instructors. All the staff came away with practical and useful knowledge of what we can do to defend ourselves in case a situation came up. They not only made the class practical but also fun. Don't expect a lecture but it's hands on learning. As a teacher myself, I was very impressed with how Joseph presented and ran the class. It was worth the money because my staff is important to me and it was also a good staff development and bonding workshop! An A+ for Joseph and his assistant, Madeline! read more

Joseph and Sonny are great instructors! Their classes are very practical and give you a lot of practices. They teach you not only physical defense techniques but also preventive tips that I found super helpful. read more

Joseph and Sunny did a wonderful job at leading this workshop. Very knowledgeable and able to communicate the techniques and mindset behind the movement clearly. Extremely enjoyable and interactive workshop. Would most definitely recommend for anyone trying to learn more about how to keep themselves safe. read more

Had a virtual class that Joseph taught for my workplace and it was great. And I'm sure it would've been even better in person. We were taught very useful techniques and practiced real life situations so after the session ended I actually felt prepared for an attack. I also showed a friend what I learned, and practiced a bit with my partner (lightly). I really appreciated the class, Joseph is a great teacher. read more

I had taken a self defense class with Joseph before a few years ago and learned some good tips. So I reached out to book a private class(10 students) with them for myself and my women friends. Living in a metropolitan area like San Francisco Bay Area and with the rise in crime, this helped us to be equipped with a few tools and confidence when we step out of our homes. We had three instructors showed; Madelyn, Sunny & Miles. Madelyn was clear and concise in her teaching. Sunny & Miles were super helpful with reenforcing the teachings with the group. The group learned a bunch in that 1 hour. Much was covered but one skill built on top of the next, so we had a chance to practice and repeat to really learn it. Will definitely be back for a refresher! read more

I have been attending the self-defense workshops whenever I can over the years and each time have walked away feeling more empowered and prepared. You do not need any experience at all to attend and they teach you fundamental and practical techniques that can be practiced at home and applied in real life situations. Staff and attendees are always friendly and welcoming and I cannot recommend them enough when it comes to self-defense workshops. They also accept requests for topics to cover in upcoming workshops and I am hoping they will cover defense against a knife/weapon and/or defense against a group of attackers soon! read more

The instructors were very skilled and impressive. The folks who attended SDP's class came away looking and feeling confident. There were close to 50 women in the class and I could see how everyone of them had personal attention from the instructors, held at Kapwa Gardens in SOMA, SF. This class is a MUST in today's high-risk environment. Thank you SDP! read more

Joseph came to our workplace to teach a self defense class and it was very helpful and informative! He went step by step with demonstrations and explanations for various scenarios. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and we will recommend to others! read more

Joseph taught an absolutely incredible self-defense class for a group of coworkers and myself. I left feeling very empowered. All the drills made me realize how important knowing--and practicing--specific techniques can be, so in a panicked moment I'll be able to respond effectively. I hope I'll never need to use the techniques we practiced, but I now feel much more capable of protecting myself out in the world. read more

I just finished my first Self Defense Workshop presented by Joseph and Sonny, it was impressive. Joseph used a simple and easy-to-understand way explaining how to defend ourselves when encountering any attack. It was very helpful and I hope to join other workshops in the near future. read more

I organized a 2-hour self-defense class for a group of family and friends with Self Defense for the People. Joseph was incredibly responsive, thoughtful, and helpful during the entire planning process. Initially, I had considered scheduling a 3-hour class and Joseph wisely cautioned me about how much content participants could really absorb in one go. Then the actual class itself was great. Joseph and Madeleine were knowledgeable and considerate instructors. They addressed any and all questions and concerns. All the hands-on practice was very useful, with lots of one-on-on attention, and it seemed like everyone in the group was glad to have participated. We actually ran out of time to cover all of the topics we had planned on beforehand, so they offered to stay past our scheduled end time, assuming folks were okay with staying a little later (which everyone was), to finish up. Now we're considering scheduling a follow-up class to cover new topics! Thank you Joseph and Self Defense for the People! read more

I hired them to come to my company to do a one-hour Filipino self defense and culture workshop. Joseph and his wife did such an awesome job! We learned a lot about Filipino history and picked up some useful tactics to defend ourselves in a few different scenarios. They talked about defense against knives and hand to hand, as well as how to use an everyday object like a pen or keys as a weapon. They also both came early and stayed a little late to answer questions and give some quick advanced martial arts demos. read more

What an amazing service you are providing for the community! Thank you!! I attended a self defense class last sunday in Lafayette park put together by a friend who gathered a bunch of women she knew that were interested in learning some self defense techniques. I honestly didn't know what to expect but I was amazed at how much great information, practice and practical tips your team provided. I walked away with some very valuable techniques that were easy to absorb and practice. Madelyn our instructor was awesome! Clear, succinct directions and demonstrations and most importantly explained the logic of why you would want to move in a certain way to maximize the best advantage. Sunny and Miles provided great support during the practice rounds so even with a group of 10+ we felt like we were getting individual attention. I highly recommend this team if you are looking for an introduction to self defense techniques. I learned a lot in one hour, it was very empowering and as serious as the topic is - it was also fun and they made it a safe and comfortable space to learn. read more

I asked them for a private self defense classes geared for girls ages 11-15 that focused on situational awareness, grab defense and safety while riding public transportation. I was very pleased how the class went. The instructors were great at keeping the giggling girls on task and were able to draw out even the shyest among them. Joseph was patient and wonderful to deal with in setting up the class and was very calm and focused during the class. Overall a great organization to deal with and I would recommend them! read more