Portland Academy of Self Defense

"Master David is incredible. He's firm, attentive and encouraging. He takes a very practical, hands on and self defense oriented approach to martial arts and he meets each student where they are to build their skills and confidence in their abilities. Edit: I've been coming for about 3 years now, and I still only have good things to say about David and his school. If you commit yourself to his teachings you will learn techniques for self defense and for life. Whenever I'm tired doing a hike or a yoga class I hear David's voice in my head "Push it, slowing down now conditions you to give up when it matters." I feel capable with my self defense skills, and I am a more confident and able person in my life outside of class."

"Dave is a remarkably patient and good teacher. PASD takes the right amount of time to teach you the fundamentals of this very effective version of Hapkido. Dave doesn't just throw you out on the mat and have you get beat on by more veteran members of the dojo like about half of the martial arts places I've been to in Portland/Beaverton. The best part of Portland Academy of Self Defense is they teach you both striking and grappling. It's tough to find this high quality and useful instruction anywhere else in town. Give it a shot!"

"I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience with Coach David. He is very knowledgeable, but what sets him apart is his ability to breakdown concepts and techniques into easy to understand steps. This has made the learning process incredibly accessible and the concepts easily applicable. I highly recommend Coach David to anyone looking to learn self defense. His expertise, clear communication, and adaptability make him an excellent coach."

"Coach David is awesome. He really knows his stuff. It is apparent that he has studied a depth and breadth of martial arts to determine his preferred style. He is great at explaining the "why" behind our exercises and movements so that you envision the application in a realworld scenario. If you are looking to learn fundamentals for self-defense, I highly recommend trying one of his complementary sessions to see for yourself. I appreciate the small size classes to maximize our time and to ensure we get quality feedback. I am also grateful for the scheduling flexibility."

"I was interested in learning some self defense skills and wasn't sure what style of martial arts to choose but Coach David has been an amazing instructor and has shared his practical approach to self defense in his classes! Hapkido has been a great workout routine as well as teaching me useful skills. Classes are small and Coach David is generous with his knowledge. Overall very positive experience!"