I signed up for a NOVA Self Defense class having never been in a fight in my life and not really ever expecting to. However, watching too many bad action movies made me curios as to what really happens when you go face to face with a bad guy and have to defend yourself. 1. Wow, do the movies have it way wrong (shocker, I know). 2. I am so glad I went through Evan's course. I walked out the door after 3 hours of training feeling safer, more aware and above all else confident that I knew what to expect if something bad happened to me. I know that I'll never knock a guy out with one punch, but I also know that such a move is entirely unrealistic and unnecessary. Every stage of a potential confrontation was broken down and explained to us. Some of it was designed to make you uncomfortable, but I really appreciated the realism that Evan and his instructors provided in the simulations. They made it clear and simple to understand what we needed to do, why we needed to do it and what to expect after it happened.  We learned to make ourselves less likely to be targeted, how to defend against attacks that are obvious and those that are surprises and how to gain control over an attacker.  I still don't plan on getting in a fight anytime soon, but the feeling of self-assuredness that I left with is hard to describe. Knowing that you can react to the worst of situations if you have to was well worth the cost of the seminar to me.  This isn't a technique-heavy hobby or exercise session. I now think of it common sense, street smarts and a general skill that everyone should be exposed to.  Simply put, Evan changed my outlook on self defense and made me a more confident person in about 3 hours worth of work. I highly recommend it.

Conor
Crossfit Coach,
Arlington, VA

"A Bigger Picture, Inc. had the privilege of working with Evan and Gianni from Nova Self-Defense on August 18, 2012. They conducted a 2 hour long self-defense class for 10 of the girls in our program. The class was interactive, fun and very educational. Evan and Gianni did a great job of answering all of the girls questions and went over so many "real-life" situations that really benefited the girls. Evan and Gianni did a great job of giving the girls adequate time to practice the defense moves learned and gave wonderful advice! I would definitely recommend Nova Self-Defense."
 
-Chanel Evans, Founder and Executive Director of A Bigger Picture, Inc.

I was hoping to learn basic self defense and learned that and much more.   I think we may have just been lucky but the student to teacher of 4 to 3 was AMAZING!  It gave us a chance to really practice and not just watch others.  I loved that the teachings were based on what you would do naturally in a fearful situation.  Flinching, shrugging etc... It makes sense and also the basics like "open 90" and "turn TOWARDS the threat" are new ideas and easy to remember.  I also thought it was excellent value for the 4.5 hours o training. Also, you were all great but I really liked that Gianni really challenged us on the last day, getting in our face and pulling our hair, it was very real - but safe - and excellent practice.  I thought it was an amazing and enlightening course.
  
Thanks so much!
C. Lee Cawley, CPO®

"NOVA Self-Defense was a phenomenal experience. Between the hands-on activities and drills, the easy to understand instructions and the practical advise; I felt I was leaving the session with a significantly deeper knowledge of how to defend myself.  I enthusiastically recommend their services to any person or groups who want to learn more about real-life safety."

Rohini Ramnath
Washington, DC

"I recently had a chance to attend a NOVA Self-Defense seminar and having had decent amount of marital arts experience, mostly from Tae Kwon Do, gave me a background to judge the techniques that were taught. While most of the initial drills on striking were rather familiar, once we moved on to awareness, responses, chaining, and real-world simulations even I felt that I gained refinement to my ability to defend myself in case I might ever need to. One of the great things I took away from the seminar was knowing that I'd feel that this would provide a level of instruction that would keep friends safe if this was their only source of self-defense training." 

     Maxwell Sissman
     Arlington, VA



"Having a fitness background, but no previous self-defense training, I really learned a lot from Evan and NOVA self defense. The training gave me the confidence that if I were ever in a bad situation, I would be able to avoid it or get out of it quickly. I thought all of the drills we did linked together really well and taught us to use our own reaction to our advantage. I would definitely recommend this training because it provides real life situations to gain knowledge to get out of these situations."     
     Abby Herrit     
     Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor, Fairfax VA     
    
"Thoroughly enjoyed the class.  Left with a self confidence to deal with awkward and potentially threatening situations.  Your instruction provided me a base to build on should I feel further classes will  ensure my abilities are tested by your instruction and practical applications.  Taking the class with my wife gave further assurance that we could both rise to any unfortunate encounter."
     Tony Andre,
     Arlington, VA 

"I really saw the value of my private self-defense training with Evan when I encountered a threatening situation while out jogging one morning.  I was approached by a crazy person flailing an umbrella at me who was shouting and posturing to strike me.  Because of my training with Evan, I remained calm and had the confidence I needed to defend myself if he were to strike me.  Thankfully, I was able to avoid the situation but if I had been attacked, I was confident that I had the tools available to effectively handle the situation." 

- John S.
Rockville, MD

Child abduction prevention parent-kid workshop
"Evan from NOVA Self Defense has put together a great self-defense course for children.  I like the fact that the training included video and reading material which is extremely informative for both parents and kids.  Evan was careful in presenting his material in a way that was age appropriate so kids would know what to be aware of without scaring them.  I highly recommend the follow-up refresher sessions because children do not retain information  for too long and it is very important that they be prepared." 
     Delia Ramirez
     Bethesda, Maryland

"I feel like I learned a great deal on Saturday. I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information.  For my learning style, I'm better with shorter courses, with chances to practice and cement the information more firmly in my mind, so I'm planning on attending some follow-up sessions.  I also think muscle memory will kick in thanks to the hands-on practice, and it won't matter what my mind is thinking--my body will naturally do what it has been trained to do.  I really appreciate that you have these courses.  I have taken one or two martial arts style courses, and the steps felt too formalized.  I've been in situations that call for a fast response, and in no way would I have had the time or presence of mind to recite steps in my head prior to needing to act.  Hopefully I'll never irritate someone enough to need to use the skills you've taught us, but, should I find myself facing an angry adversary, I know my odds of a successful outcome have increased significantly thanks to just that one class so far." 
     Christine Picaut
     Arlington VA

I attended the 4 hour Women’s Self Defense training last Saturday.  The class was great. Throughout the physical portion of the training there was a lot of emphasis on the physiology of the attack.  For instance, the trainer would have us standing with our back to our partner and the partner would come up from behind as if they were going to choke us.  Initially we had to just stand there and take it, focusing on the sounds, sights, and feelings that we experienced prior to and during the course of the attack.  We repeated this exercise and at an unknown point a trainer would sneak in and perform the “surprise” choke hold.  I actually surprised myself during this exercise.  While doing it with my female partner, I did as instructed and just stood there focusing on the sounds, feelings, etc.  When one of the male trainers came up behind me & performed the choke, it felt real and my immediate reaction was to perform the defensive move which I had learned at a previous training with NOVA Self Defense.  Although I wasn’t exactly following that day’s instructions it was good to see that when I felt threatened I reacted appropriately.  After going through various techniques, the class ended with the trainers putting on their padded suits and “attacking” the students.  Each student took a turn with each trainer.  The attack began with a verbal confrontation, we had to determine whether we could escape, verbally de-escalate, or would have to become physical.  If it became physical the attack didn’t end until the trainer was on the ground and the student was safely out of reach of the attacker. The training was fun and informative.  Of course, when I got home I tried out some of my “skills” on my husband.  He was surprised at how easily I could free myself from his grasp.  This course doesn’t teach you to try to overpower your opponent, that isn’t realistic in many cases when a woman is up against a man.  It does however focus on using your body’s natural responses as a defense mechanism both from recognizing the danger all the way through the physical aspect.  I do think the more training a person gets, the better her chances are in surviving a real life situation.  I have now attended two seminars as well as a 12 week course.  I intend to continue taking at least one seminar a year just to retain the information that I have learned and stay current on any improvements. I also plan to have my daughter Amanda take a course like this as soon as she is old enough.
     Christi Campbell
      Amissville, VA 

"NOVA Self Defense teaches a very practical style of self-defense. The SPEAR (Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response) system is a form of self-defense based on your natural reaction and reflexes to an attack, which I think is smart, realistic, and practical. Additionally, the moves are very simple to pick up, so when you leave the class, it is easy to remember how to protect yourself without having to continuously practice and drill techniques.
Evan is a really awesome, hands-on instructor. He really gets into "character" when running simulation attacks, and is very encouraging and patient when you don't get the moves right away. Additionally, he held a self-defense class for some of my students and he is great with kids as young as 8 years old (and they loved him!). Evan also sometimes throws in a killer workouts, so not only do you learn self-defense, but you can be done with your workout for the day by 10 am!  I would really encourage anyone even slightly interested to check out NOVA Self Defense, even if it's just for one class. You'll learn a lot, leave understanding and remembering what you learned, and feel confident in your own abilities."
-Ming Fung
UGA Graduate Student


"This class is really amazing! I was skeptical at first-I'm pretty clumsy/uncoordinated, so I didn't think I'd be able to pick things up right away. But the moves you learn are simple natural reaction based movements so there's not a huge learning curve. During each class we go over a new attack someone might ambush you with on the street and learn how to defend against it. First the class desensitizes you to some of the panic by safely exposing you to the attack so you know what it feels like and you can see it coming before you actually encounter it. Then we learn the defense against it and practice the defense with different students and assistants so you get used to dealing with all different body types and strength levels. Afterwords the instructors gear up in padding and present you with possible scenarios you could encounter on the street so you can practice what you've learned in full speed. Every class has strengthening exercises based on the fundamental defenses we learn. Some classes have a cardio component built into them so they're a good way to start getting fitter too. You really couldn't ask for a better instructor either! Evan does a great job of assessing everyone's skill level and then pairing them with other students or assistants, so not everyone has to be on the same skill level. Evan's funny and super engaging in class and really gives a lot of helpful feedback without being critical. He explains/demos things so clearly and realistically its actually hard NOT to learn something. Overall I'm really impressed with the skills I've picked up from it and how fun each class is."
     Chris Vestal
     Alexandria, VA


I had a great day of training last Saturday in Arlington Virginia with NOVA Self Defense - with Evan Dzierzynski- Owner and Lead Coach.  I attended an Intro to Personal Defense Readiness and the SPEAR System (Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response) created by Tony Blauer.  I'd recommend anyone who trains in martial arts and states they teach reality based self defense to visit or train with an instructor from the SPEAR/PDR system.  It will cause you to look at what you teach, how you teach and what you will change to be more honest in what you give to individuals.

Christopher Torres
Bronx, New York

"When I first signed up to take the class the idea of it was a bit intimidating.  But Evan and Brendan are great at creating a comfortable training environment.  I was relaxed and began learning the techniques while having fun, almost immediately!  In the classes I have taken, we have had women of all age ranges and fitness levels and we are truly learning a lot.  I would highly recommend this training to all women and teenage girls.  One thing a lot of women have said to me when I talk to them about this program is that if they ever found themselves in a threatening situation, they are afraid that they would freeze up.  I believe this is a pretty common reaction, because they don’t know what else to do.  One of the great things about the course I am taking is that in addition to the physical techniques they also focus on the psychological aspects of an attack which addresses this very concern." 
     Christi Campbell
     Warrenton, VA


"Personal Defense Readiness has given me more confidence. Since taking the class I have been in a few stressful confrontations where I needed to be prepared to think and act quickly. In these certain situations- a man with road rage and a man who had too much to drink- I was able to recall the lessons and concepts Evan taught me. Fortunately I was able to create distance between me and the offender before anything physical had to happen.  Putting distance between me and whoever I'm interacting is not natural for me.  I am use to standing there, talking and trying to politely handle the situation. However, when I started getting nervous I heard a voice telling me that something is wrong and not to stay and try and work it out.  Leave before you let this man try to hurt you.  That voice came from Evan and Brendon and I am grateful for having learned such valuable, simple, easy to employ defense tactics."
     Jess Howard
     Warrenton, VA