Learn to defend yourself with 'Self Defense America' on June 12

Get ready to defend yourself with Self Defense America, a national event organized by world-renowned Post Falls self defense instructor Michael Foley, an eighth-degree black belt.

Self Defense America kicks off in Liberty Lake at the HUB Sports Center on June 12. Then it heads to Seattle, Sacramento and Texas.

The event packs a month's worth of self defense training into one day - and at $60 per person or $100 for two, it is half the price that most schools charge for the same amount of self defense training.

Foley hopes to draw 400 to the training, and he plans to donate 10 percent of the proceeds to the nonprofit HUB in exchange for use of the building.

"We're really, really excited about the opportunity to help that many people learn self defense that literally could save their life," he said.

Foley will lead the class with two important instructors; his daughters. His daughters hold their own as martial artists and are helping plan, instruct and organize the program.

Foley, who founded the Hand to Hand Combat Training Center, has 32 years in the Army, with 26 of those in Special Operations command. He has been all over the world including places like the Balkans, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Far East and numerous other places. He retired in 2007 after three years in Iraq.

"The experience on its own has given me something very few martial arts instructors have; REAL experience in combat situations," he said.

In special operations, he fought his way out of tight situations many times.

"I use that experience in my teaching. I teach something that's really going to work," Foley said.

In addition to instructing martial arts through his training center, Foley also taught while deployed to various locations around the world and right here on KXLY Good Morning Northwest every Wednesday morning for a year and a half.

"If I help somebody protect their home, family or life then it's all worth it," Foley said.

Self Defense America kicks off on June 12 at the HUB Sports Center in Liberty Lake, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Pre-register online at www.h2hctc.com. The cost is $60 per person and $100 for two. For more information, call Michael Foley at (208) 262-1410.