I took a handcuffing class here recently overall, I learned a lot but there were a few things that stood out to me in a negative way. The class was with myself and two males, taught by Larry-the owner. For starters, we had to wait at least 15 minutes for the third student to get there before starting the class. I asked Larry about his martial arts experience because he had photos on the wall of him training. He is a 9th degree black belt in Shodokan Aikido if I remember correctly. I talked to him about my experience, he asked a lot of questions on the ranking system and whatnot. I didn't think these conversations would lead to him showing each handcuffing technique on me but it did. He slid one had on my hip during one handcuffing demo which was inappropriate and not part of the arrest technique (ie: back of hand weapons check). He showed a wrist technique or two on myself and another student. As a lifelong martial artist who is experienced training with a variety of styles and ranks, I believe he used too much force. Although I don't train in Shodokan, I have worked with blackbelts in the style when they teach or demo it is for the purpose of teaching not injury. The other student he did a technique on was a very large guy and he expressed a lot of discomfort when Larry did a lock on him. This didn't stand out to me too much until with maybe an hour left to go in the training, Larry demonstrates a movement (not at all related to handcuffing and last I checked that was what this course was-not self-defense-not wrist take downs) by having me go in for a handshake, he does the lock using my right wrist, takes me to the ground, is yelling at me, and stands on my hair as I am shouting for him to stop because a tap out would not suffice and I couldn't really move. This was witnessed by Charles and Ricardo the guards I did my class with-they seemed really weird-ed out by it too. At the time, his staff was running errands and were not present-they had been gone at least an hour. I was shocked and annoyed at the lack of self-awareness on his part as a martial artist. I was visibly upset the remainder of the class. He checked my wrist out and I told him he used too much force, which he said, something like to you it may have felt that way. He tried to apologize a few times. I felt uncomfortable the remainder of the training. As he was completing my cert card he apologized again, which I told him I was annoyed it happened and told him the technique was completely unnecessary in the overall scope of the course (which he at least agreed with), I also mentioned it seemed "showy" because, in my opinion, he was trying often to show off. As we were nearing the end of our training a guy was in trying to return a baton he had purchased from Security 6, I found that unusual, he had complained that the product was not new? The class was affordable but given the things that occurred and my overall impression of Larry, I won't be back to do a guard card class and I wouldn't recommend this facility to any women I know.
I didn't have any problems with his office staff, they were both nice on the phone, I can see how people might take Annette's demeanor the wrong way. read more