Hi Matthew,
Thank you for the insight that you provided! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first learned of the True Self – self defense workshop, however I am immensely grateful for the knowledge that you shared. One of the things that I took away from this workshop is that self defense doesn’t need to be complicated, simple tactics can save your life! Being 5’6? and 110 lbs, there’s a pretty good chance that someone could easily overpower me. The moves that you taught give anyone of any size a chance to get away from their attacker. I would highly recommend this workshop to every woman out there and hope that they don’t find themselves in situations where they have to use the knowledge that they gain.
Thank you again to you and your team for your time and the great work that you’re doing.
Kind Regards,
Sharon L.
“I really enjoyed the course and I appreciated his honesty and openness. I really appreciated that he shared his own story with us at the beginning, it was helpful for building trust and understanding. As someone who has already been in many violent or dangerous situations, I felt that I gained not only new skills but a new perspective in how to handle those situations the next time they arise. I have struggle with understanding victimization and all that it entails and it was very freeing to learn the choice that I have and the steps I can take to mentally, emotionally and physically control the situation so that I don’t end up making the same mistakes or end up with the same injuries and scars that I have experienced in the past. This is a course I would recommend to any woman, married or single. I wish I could have had the opportunity to have taken it years ago.”
Grace Hagenlocher
“I found your seminar to be interactive and engaging! I would recommend your seminar in a heart beat, and not just to women! It was a very empowering experience.”
Thanks again, it truly was a great experience!
Sydney
“I’ve had a little bit of self-defense instruction before Matthew’s class, but his class was very different than what I’ve experienced before and what I would expect from the typical class. I feel like other classes teach you some skills and tricks, but I know that personally, I probably would not have the presence of mind to employ them if I were being attacked.
That’s one thing I really appreciated about Matthew’s class, what he taught us was not strength-based at all, anyone could do them. Yet I also learned that I could do things I didn’t know I could (like leverage a person off my body), and these are things that I can see myself being able to do if I were ever in a situation where it was necessary.
Another thing that I really appreciated, perhaps the most from this class, is the mental aspect. He really put an emphasis on preemptively mentally preparing yourself, as well how to think logically and calmly through the situation in the event you need to defend yourself. This was a huge take-away for me, because if I’ve resigned myself to defeat early on, then chances are that that’s what will happen; but if I’ve developed a mindset and goal of escape ahead of time and I don’t lose my head just because someone has me by the arms (for an example), I will be much more likely to plan and fight my way out of the situation, using the mental and physical strategies taught in this course.
I really appreciate the holistic nature of this course. I feel like I’ve been equipped, and I have friends provinces away that I wish could take this course.
And it’s fun to boot! I really recommend this course.”
Giselle L.
“My name is Monique and I am a single mother who lives alone with my son. I have taken previous martial arts classes in the past (karate, Tak-won-do and some kick boxing) and I must say that taking the True Self self defense class with Matthew truly opened my eyes to a different aspect of self defense, the mind set. I have been working in the restaurant/clubs for twelve years and the tactics I have learned could’ve definitely been very helpful at times! This class taught me many ways to stay confident and aware, to have a plan and be prepared with a clear mind and use the tricks and tactics learned to distract my attackers mind set. Matthew’s class also taught me to keeping self defense simple with simple moves. When it gets to complicated, you panic because you don’t remember what the first step is! I really enjoyed Matthew’s class and he is a great teacher! As women, he made us feel very confident and equal. The mind is very powerful and this class taught me that I can change, distract, manipulate an attacker’s mind and if there is no way out, I am now prepared for it in so many ways! I would like to give a big thank you to Matthew Dyck as he has really changed the way I felt about self defense. Thank You!
Monique
I participated in one of Matthew’s self defense workshops recently and found it was such a rewarding four hours. Matthew shows a great deal of respect for his students despite their size, age or background. He makes it about empowerment rather than physical strength. I learned the simplest of thought processing can alter your perception on any given situation. I look forward to taking more workshops with him. You learn so much, yet feel like you’ve only scratched the surface of your own ability. Thank you and looking forward to working with you again!”
Saran
Hey Matthew!
Just want to take this opportunity to thank-you so much for the workshop you held on woman’s self defense at Kidsworld on March 3rd. As this was a probono contribution on your part, I was amazed at how much you included in this session and appreciate it very much so you know!
I went into this class expecting to get the ”affliction/tap-out” wearing, roid monkey instructor demonstrating moves similar to a karate nature, however this was not the case. You kept it real, down to earth, and provided extremely easy to remember techniques in the incidence of alarm.
Your being able to share your own experiences added a great touch as well. It drew us in, and made us better understand your motives in what you do, and what brought you to where you are now.
You have tremendous passion for this line of teaching, and I wish you all the best!”
Sincerely,
Jessica
“Confidence is a wonderful thing.
Before I met Matthew, everything about me—from the way I stood to the way I talked—told the world that I was afraid to defend myself. Other people would push me around physically and emotionally both at work and at school, and I let them because I didn’t know how to do anything else. If I just gritted my teeth and put up with the abuse, it would eventually go away, and besides, I didn’t think I was worth the trouble of defending.
The first thing Matthew taught me was how to stand up straight. “Stop looking like a victim!” he said. Then he helped me identify the things that made me timid and the mental blocks that kept me from standing up for myself. It wasn’t long before friends were asking, “What happened to you?” I started to express my opinions, set up personal boundaries, and not let others walk all over me.
Of course, while this personal transformation was taking place, I was learning what to do if I found myself in a physical confrontation. I’m not tall or athletic, but the self-defense techniques Matthew teaches don’t rely on physical strength. Matthew showed me how to use my own, God-given reflexes to protect myself and those around me—it’s much simpler than it sounds.”
Mary Mitchell, Kentucky
“The workshop gave me some easy and effective tips for self defense. I now feel like a have a good idea of things I can do to get out of a dangerous situation. Thank you.”
Ania, Russian Student
Adrianna O.
I had the pleasure of having Matthew Dyck do a self-defense workshop with Spirit of the Children Society’s Iskwew Girls Program. I was very relieved when I found Matthew on his website. He has a very unique perspective with approaching self-defense. I work with Teenage girls who needed to gain the skills to defend themselves and Matthew’s calm realistic approach made the girls feel comfortable. Matthew was able to recognize the various backgrounds the girls came from and adjusted his teachings to suit their individual needs. Matthew works excellent in a group environment and adapts well to the ever changing energy of the group. Matthew’s high energy and Metis background made it easy for the girls to relate to him. I would recommend Matthew as a great Instructor to other organizations and groups. I plan to continue working with Matthew and building a partnership to help support out Community.
Roberta Genesius – FDP Coordinator Spirit of the Children Society, BC
“Thanks for organizing this; I thought it was a great idea and great session.”
” Matthew and Brian did a great job in creating a fun environment while delivering a very effective message about personal safety and protection. They presented a lot of really good information that was actually practical. The ability for us to actually try some of it out with them watching over was really beneficial. They know their stuff and make you want to learn more techniques through their programs…”
“Thanks so much again for organizing this class – there isn’t a more relevant time than now with everything happening in our community.”
“The comments I would like to give Matthew are that it was refreshing to hear someone advise us to “fight back”. I also found his theory that “everything is a weapon” is so true and should be communicated to ALL women. ALSO – I have heard many great things about the book “The Gift of Fear” and was glad to hear that he was promoting it for everyone to read.”
“Once again, thanks so much for organizing this class – I really found it useful and a great investment!”
SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts – Vancouver, BC
“Matthew Dyck taught us easy to execute and effective techniques to de-escalate a potentially dangerous situation and if the need arose to disable an attacker. As world-travelling seniors we spend four or more months each year immersing ourselves in other cultures, and although we hope the need never arises to use these skills, our confidence to handle such a situation has risen to a new level.”
Irene & Rick Butler Travel Journalist/Photographer
“I took 11 girlfriends to Matthew’s class to introduce them to women’s self defense, and did we ever love it! Matthew was a very knowledgeable instructor who kept the evening moving along with his humorous and entertaining personality, along with his trusty & professional “side-kicks”. Not only did we all have a great time together, but we learned a good foundation on how to be aware, be proactive in keeping alert & protected, and how to defend ourselves should we ever be put in a dangerous situation. The theory he taught us opened all of our eyes. We can’t thank him enough & look forward to learning more self defense.”
B. Mackenzie – Vancouver, BC
“Just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for the great training! I am so impressed by the quality of your program and the awesome people I was fortunate to train with.”
Anna Wong – Richmond, BC
“Because of Matthew’s training, I have greater awareness and confidence no matter what I do or where I go.”
Eileen Williams – Calgary, AB
“I think this is a great program that I wish I had learned about a long time ago. All I can say is, I will try to drag every woman that I care about into one of your classes.”
Helen Kwan – Richmond, BC
“I have been trained in the art of Jeet Kune Do, and have had the privilege in the past, of learning from an exceptional Sifu and lineage. When I moved to BC, I had a difficult time finding a new Sifu that not only was well trained in the martial art from a proper lineage, but more importantly, also ingrained in and practices the true philosophy of the art. When I found Matthew, what immediately struck me was his comprehension of the martial art in its entirety – not just the technical aspects of it, but also, the philosophy and mindset behind it – along with the integration of his other martial backgrounds. That is a true master, and that is Matthew Dyck. I have thoroughly enjoyed continuing my training with Matthew. Like all true masters, he takes his time to not just teach the technique, but also, the ‘whys’ behind it, to give you the full body, mind and spirit training. I look forward to each session, and feel confident when I am training with him. Thank you Matthew!”
Sonia Tan – Canada
“I took martial art lessons under Matthew Dyck’s instruction for a month, and was impressed with his ability to teach effectively in a practical, engaging manner, and his passion for what he does/teaches is both motivating and infectious. As a person, Matt is creative, full of energy, easy-going and impresses me as someone who likes a constructive challenge. I am pleased to know Matt and count him as a friend, and wish him all the best in his endeavors.”
Catherine M. Huang – Richmond, BC
SELF DEFENSE VANCOUVER/RICHMOND BC