HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"I have been a student for 5 years. Tim, the owner and instructor, is very professional and extremely knowledgeable! I feel confident knowing I can protect myself should a situation call for it. When you come into the dojo you will be treated like family and no one will judge you. Whether you are a beginner or a black belt from another discipline - you will learn something new from Tim!!" - Kara W.
"Awesome instructor and fun atmosphere." - Brady A.
"Center of Defensive Arts ties in the importance and seriousness of self-defense with a fun and light hearted class atmosphere. Both my mom and I have had a blast learning from Tim Raftery, and we recommend it to anyone looking for an extremely knowledgeable and caring instructor." - Wendy W.
"Definitely useful for girls (or boys) heading off to college! Highly recommend." - Hayden R.
'"Best block, don't get hit."
This is great in theory but how we respond when attacked is truly the difference in becoming a victim or being a survivor. Sensei Tim Raftery has mastered the art of survival and I give him my highest recommendation for anyone who is ready to gain the confidence to overcome any adversity or attacker that comes your way." - Jordan C.
"My daughter is learning self defense and loves it! The owner Tim is amazing with the children, and the adult students are amazing and help the junior class! The goal here is to get away not to stay and fight. There are no tournaments or medals to be had, which for us works just fine"
- Sarah M.
'"I've been taking training since February 2021 and I couldn't be more pleased. The training is of high quality and never boring with doing "monkey-see, monkey-do". I can be a little slow on the uptake but he has the patience of a saint. I've come in early to watch the younger kids and the rapport he has with them is outstanding and makes it fun for the little ones. I have no problem recommending him or the school to others regardless of age or previous experience"
- Mark W.
"Confidence building! We learn as a family and have fun!" - Mark K.
'"My grandson is 8 years old and Mr. Tim is his instructor. He loves Mr. Tim. He looks forward to going every week and I believe he would go everyday if he could. He is also taught RESPECT. Since he has started training with Mr. Tim his whole attitude has changed. I can only say THANK YOU for all the LOVE and RESPECT that you have taught my grandson."
- Colleen S.
"I have 2 daughters going away to college this fall and really wanted them to take a self defense class. We chose the Center of Defensive Arts and couldn’t be happier! We took 3 1.5 hour classes together and he extended each class to be sure that we got the most from each one. We all gained valuable knowledge and confidence in defending ourselves. He is extremely experienced, knowledgeable and cares deeply about teaching these valuable concepts and skills to his students"
-Leisa R.
"Everything we were looking for and more! Thorough, safe, patient and fun. Highly recommend." - Kathy Z.
'"I took my 7 year old son to visit, and he and the Coach immediately connected. After observing and discussing the training with the owner, I signed my 15 year old daughter and niece up to train. (And myself...) These girls have learned skills to disarm, neutralize, or defend themselves against a variety of potential attacks. The training we are all learning is priceless, and will allow me to sleep a bit more soundly in the future, when my daughter goes off to college. Thank you, Tim. You are a hero in my book."
- Rachel P.
"Amazing place and people. Very family oriented. Instructor cares about all his students. My whole house recently had the Covid-19 virus and we lost my dad to this, and the instructor came to my dad's visitation, which was completely unexpected. Instructor will also work around injuries, so you can still train while letting injuries heal, and they are also very big on safety there as well.
Excellent place to go."
- Bonnie A.