“Since I joined the A.C.W.A., I have been amazed by what I’ve learned. This is a class that teaches you things that you can apply to the real world not just in class. The atmosphere is great. Everyone is encouraging, upbeat, and excited to be there. The class is also adaptable to everyone. Each person can find movements that work for them and ways to utilize their strengths and discover and improve their weaknesses. We learn real world practical self defense and after just a month I already feel more confident because I am able to protect myself. I think that everyone should have the experience of taking this class.”

“What really sets the A.C.W.A. apart from other organizations that teach self defense is the understanding that self defense is practical only when it can be learned quickly and efficiently. Where many martial arts studios limit you to what you can learn in a certain amount of time, the instruction here at the A.C.W.A. is designed to teach as much as you can learn in as little or as much time as you need. I now feel much safer when I go out knowing what I’ve learned. Excellent instructors, practical and effective lessons, at a very reasonable rate make this program one of a kind. Time and money well spent!”

“I have been a team member of A.C.W.A. since January and I have learned so much. Each week I look forward to coming and bettering my skills. You learn the tools to defend from things that happen in real life situations. The instructors are super helpful and they make it easy to learn. The class can be intense sometimes but Justin makes it a fun atmosphere to train. This is a great program and I would recommend it to anyone.”

“It seems I attract the wrong sort of people, those who want to try to take advantage of me, follow me home, etc. Thus far I have been lucky, nothing has escalated to be physical in nature, but I knew if I did not do something, eventually my luck would run out. I started looking for answers, but found mostly “martial arts” stuff that would take me years of practice and did not look real practical anyway. I ended up searching “self defense” and found the A.C.W.A. website and decided to give them a call. I was a bit nervous; this was new to me, but I decided what the hell 😉 Everyone was really nice and the class went at a pace that I could really learn at. I feel comfortable with everyone here and I get the opportunity to train with both men and women. So if you are like me and want real life skills and practical self defense that you can ACTUALLY use in a short amount of time, then give them a call, I’m glad I did.”

“Never in my life have I been able to learn any form of self defense. I have tried it all from Kung-Fu to Tae Kwon Do to MMA and failed each time due to the fact that I could never learn forms, which to me, were simply useless. At a free MMA meetup group, I ran into Justin Everman as he was invited there to show his art. Wow! I was so impressed at what I learned in that one night! Being 5 foot nothing and 95-100 lbs kind of makes me a target to men and bigger girls. Let’s just say that if you have no confidence and have a learning curve like I do, then this is the ONLY way to learn the best real life self defense for the real world.”

“Through some changes in my life, I searched for a different style and was referred to the A.C.W.A. as an alternative to the traditional martial arts. I found that the A.C.W.A. Combatives training takes the fundamentals of what works from many styles and creates what I like to called an applied sciences of martial arts. This is training in a real setting with different variables so you work with your instincts instead of a technique. You learn to defend under pressure and how the body reacts when you perform the techniques. Whether you are young, small, overweight, short, tall, in shape, older, have training or no training this academy has answers that will work for you. I strongly recommend this academy as the training is applicable to reality.”

“As former LEO and studying multiple systems, I can say that this is the best school of training I have seen. There is something here for everyone!”

“After doing various other martial arts for about seven years. Three months after joining, I had overwritten nearly all of my previous training with better, more applicable techniques. Everything just makes sense.”

“A.C.W.A. Combatives builds big ability fast! I was truly impressed at the real-world applications and training that come from the A.C.W.A.! We are trained in scenarios that happen every day around us, just turn on your six-o clock news! A.C.W.A. has benefited me by giving me extreme confidence to handle many real-world situations. Being a practitioner and a 1st degree black belt in karate, the strategies, techniques that I learn in A.C.W.A. has taken me at least three years to learn in karate, but A.C.W.A. takes it to another level with the ease of learning each and every technique that is natural in movement. The instructors are very friendly, skilled, and want to see the success in all their students. I highly endorse both A.C.W.A. Combatives as your first options in self-defense training. It is well worth the investment.”

“I grow more confident every day. This is something anyone can learn! The classes are fun and informative. There’s no ego or arrogance, so don’t be shy if you’ve never taken any classes like this before. I started taking classes 3 years ago with absolutely no experience and have been loving it ever since! Everyone should at least try it once. You’ll be hooked!”

“The A.C.W.A teaches a unique approach to self-defense that is easily learned and has real world applications. I never thought I’d be taught to get out of zip tie “hand cuffs” using nothing but shoe laces. Justin’s passion for what he teaches makes classes interesting and best of all, fun! Interested in disarming someone with a knife, gun, or even fending off multiple attackers? If so, this is the place for you.”

“I believe that the greatest successes are born from having true passion for what you are doing. That passion is exactly what Mr. Everman possesses when it comes to Combatives. I truly believe that he eats, sleeps and breathes self-defense… and this is the kind of individual that you want instructing. During the time that I was a student in Mr. Everman’s class, I learned how to adapt and respond to situations that previously I would have felt helpless in. His program changed the way I approach all aspects of my life, from business to relationships to self-defense. Mr. Everman’s instruction can be challenging, but it will ultimately allow a student to grow as a person in ways they never imagined possible.”

“Justin and his team of instructors are great. They will answer any questions you may have and work with you to develop the tools that you already have while showing a few that you didn’t know about. Unlike traditional schools that might teach you how to protect yourself in several years, here you will learn practical defenses on your very first day. Probably the greatest things about this school are that there are no silly uniforms to wear and no stances to stand in for hours practicing how to block an imaginary opponent from the middle of the 15th century. Here you learn wearing normal clothes practicing against another person. What you will learn here is how to block attackers wielding weapons, fight off attackers from the ground, how to get out of choke holds and how to protect yourself in close quarters situations that we all find ourselves in, like between cars in a parking lot. Oh yeah, there are no competitions and no trophies to earn in this, this is not a sport, this is for real. The only trophy you will get if you ever need to use it is being able to walk away, your attacker, well…he might not be so lucky. Check it out and see for yourself, the first class is free, and there is no pressure to sign up. What do you have to lose? Besides fear.”  

For years I have wanted to get involved in martial arts for self-defense purposes. Most of the classes I checked out either involved huge egos and too much testosterone, or many years of study before anything would be useful (or all of the above). Then I found A.C.W.A. After a single class, I had some new tools I could use to defend myself, and it made sense as to when and why I would use them. A.C.W.A. is intuitive and easy to learn, and it WORKS. It was surprising to learn that someone of my petite size could defend against a 200+ pound man with ease, in many different situations. There’s absolutely no ego involved at this academy, either. In fact, Justin’s philosophy is “It doesn’t matter what I can do, but what YOU can do.” The rest of the instructors have this same mindset as well. Individual attention from the instructors is common, to make sure you are comfortable and grasping the material and concepts. If you are looking for a competition sport, this isn’t it. But if you are looking for something that will help you get home safe at the end of the day; you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to the Academy of Combative Warrior Arts.”

“I’ve loved every class so far and can’t wait to do more! The techniques are practical and logical. I love that the trainers are patient and take the time to work with you one-on-one to go over things again and to answer questions. They work on rewiring your brain to use your natural instincts and turning them to your advantage. I like the personalized attention in each class; it doesn’t matter how much experience you have – just join right in at any time.”

“Great instructors with the knowledge to convey how to properly defend yourself and feel comfortable doing it. Everyone teaches everyone atmosphere. From the start you can tell it is nothing like a “normal” self-defense class or martial art. A very welcoming feel and safe environment that helps you to overcome any doubts you have about self-protection and ability. Very glad I joined this group of people and look forward to more training.”

“I first came across A.C.W.A. when I was looking for a self defense class that did not revolve around competing. I wanted to learn how to defend myself in the event that I needed to, not just belt up. A.C.W.A is exactly what I was looking for and I would recommend these classes to everyone I know. Justin is immensely knowledgeable and is an excellent teacher. Through practicing this form of self-defense you will be prepared for whatever situation you may find yourself in, even if that only means possessing an increased awareness of your surroundings.”

“Violence…we are exposed to it in our favorite crime shows and action movies. We hear tragic stories about horrific acts done to innocent people. Other people. The threat seems so far removed from our everyday lives but that got me thinking; what if one day I’m one of those “other” people? I didn’t have the first clue about how to effectively defend myself. It was in that moment that I made a decision to stop living passively in a false sense of security and take control of my own safety. I started training at A.C.W.A. in January of this year and it’s been one the best decisions I’ve ever made! Having never taken a self-defense class before I had no idea what to expect but Justin Everman and his staff are incredibly welcoming, patient and professional. They all have a knack for making what could be intimidating training a whole heck of a lot of fun! The techniques and mechanics are practical and applicable for all ages and all body types/sizes. I always had the impression that because I’m only 5’5″ there was no way I could take down anyone taller than me let alone a grown man or heaven forbid more than one attacker. It’s only been 5 weeks but what I’ve learned is that impression is a lie. If you ask yourself: what if one day I’m one of those “other” people? And the answer is anything like mine; I highly encourage you to check out A.C.W.A! You’ll be glad you did.”