A fun and social approach to developing physical and mental strength for youth.
Suzanne Jean

Suzanne is responsible for the concept and design of the Fit4Defense Program. She has trained in the martial arts since 1975 and teaches karate, tai chi and self-defense. Suzanne has written several training manuals and is an active instructor of social issues topics related to service development and at-risk populations.  Suzanne has over thirty years experience in the design, implementation and accreditation of community-based programs in the social service field.  She is co-founder of the Kettle Friendship Society and Watari Research Association serving as Executive Director for each organization for over ten years. Suzanne is Director of Kaizen, a company contracting with government and social service organizations on research, policy development and program development strategies. She is an insured member of Karate B.C. holds National Coaching Certification, a Black Belt in Karate, CPR /First Aid and a completed criminal record check.

  

Norma Foster

Norma has worked closely with Suzanne to develop and pilot the Fit4Defense Curriculum. She has studied Karate for almost forty years and holds the exceptional rank of 6th degree black belt, which makes her the highest ranked female in the international style organization to which she belongs, the Japan Karate Federations Wado Kai. She is also the only female in the world and one of 2 persons outside Japan to hold an examiner’s license from that organization. Her experience includes teaching, coaching, competing and training karate; NCCP, Sport Aid certified; Karate BC insured member; BC Sport Hall of Fame Leader and Legend in Sport; Inaugural inductee, Burnaby Sport Hall of Fame; President, Canada JKF Wado Kai Karate Association; Member, World Karate Federation Referee Council; Chair, WKF Gender Equity Committee; Promotion Plus person of the Year 2000; listed in Who’s Who of Canadian Sport; a completed criminal record check.

 

Michelle Tremblay  
Michelle has been one of the primary instructors assisting to pilot, review and edit the Fit4Defense curriculum in the schools. Michelle has over 15 years of experience in facilitating, coaching, teaching and employment counselling through private government contracts, JCI Okanagan, JCI International, Junior Achieve International, and Corporate Businesses. She is a Certified 2nd Degree Black Belt with 13 years of training; Karate BC insured member registered with All Japan Karatedo Chito-Kai & National Karate Association in Canada; Certified Coach Practitioner (2009); Okanagan College Instructor (Continuing Studies); 2006 JCI National Chair Effective Speaking Program; 2006 National SPOKE Award; 2007 Fellowship Award of JCI Canada; JCI Effective Speaking Trainer; Keynote speaker; Instructor Women's Self-Defense workshops; Provincial Instructor Diploma, VCC; a completed criminal record check.

For more information about Michelle, visit her website and www.eve-olutions.net

 

Peter Stoddart

Peter has studied various systems martial arts all over North America, Europe and Asia.  Since attaining 5th Degree Black Belt, he instructs karate professionally at Hollyburn Country Club and has a following of over 60 students.  There is a constant demand from the Vancouver School Board for Peter to instruct various levels of self defense in High Schools to boys and girls groups.  Classes range from verbal de-escalation to full contact confrontational experiences that usually profoundly empower participants.  His experience draws from a diverse combination of coaching the BC Karate Team, obtaining  Canadian NCCP (Level II), Personal Defense Training, The University of Victoria Security Services and the Fit for Defense downtown Eastside underprivileged assertion program.  Peter is RCMP cleared and insured through Sport BC.