Course Reviews
Reviews
| Shivworks Development Day - Wrestling to Achieve IFWA (In-Fight-Weapons-Access) | 5 | Awesome class. Learned a lot and would definitely do more in the future. The teaching style was easy to understand and the information taught was broken down into easily understood fragments that get sewn together to create the end result. |
| Shivworks Development Day - Wrestling to Achieve IFWA (In-Fight-Weapons-Access) | 5 | I recently attended the Shivworks Development Day - Wrestling to Achieve IFWA (In-Fight-Weapons-Access) class at Concept Jiu Jitsu of Clearwater, and I couldn't be more impressed with the experience. The facility was exceptionally well-kept and clean, providing a comfortable and welcoming environment for learning. The instructors, Brian Frias and Eric Mitchell demonstrated a high level of expertise in self-defense/combative techniques and were highly professional. As a former Army Special Forces, I appreciate the techniques taught and delivery providing practicality and realism that are applicable in real-life situations. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to enhance their self-defense skills and add tools to their kit bag. |
| Shivworks Development Day - Wrestling to Achieve IFWA (In-Fight-Weapons-Access) | 5 | Excellent day of training. Level of detail and pace of instruction were spot on. Facility was well organized and clean. Definitely looking forward to the next one! |
| ECQC for Police - Georgia | 5 | This is hands down the best combatives course I have ever attended, and bridges the gap between grappling and fighting with weapons, be it knives or guns. The instructors explain everything in detail, and attendees practice multiple times, to ensure the technique is retained. Every LEO should attend this training. I will definitely attend again. |
| ECQC for Police - Georgia | 5 | The best self-defense class I have been to!!! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | Honestly, can't say enough good things. The class is obviously very well thought out and planned. I especially liked the functional warm up on day 2 - it really helped drive home the lessons from day one. I'm a kinetic learner so that was great for me. Craig kept a great eye on both participants in evolutions and when someone got rocked it was called for safety. I have some health issues so I had some concerns about being able to do the class, but the instructors do a great job with safety. I think the best endorsement I can give is that I'll find a way to be back in another Shivworks class again. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | The whole course was exceptional, from start to finish. By the time I was finished, it was interesting to look back at the beginning of the course (the MUC portion) and see the end result of the Murder Corner. It cemented in my mind, why it is so important to learn and perfect those skills to better avoid encounters in the first place. I will definitely do this again, and recommend everyone do this. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | There was so much to process from this class that I wasn't able to fully digest on our debrief. I'm a decent shot in a neighborhood that has limited resources for firearms and self-protection. People in our area ask us for instruction and I do because I believe that people of all backgrounds should have the right to defend themselves and be informed and make decisions based on solid information. I tell the handfuls of people that have come to me for firearm instruction, please don't come to me believing you will receive everything you need to defend yourself. I start by letting them know my class is an introduction to a much larger responsibility. That I myself am still very much a student. I took EWO and have taken several classes prior to this on top of my background with firearms.\n\nI believe this EWO class and Shivworks' instruction holds the standard for understanding the depths and investment needed to put together a solid foundation, physically and mentally, for self-protection. This was a truly humbling experience and I don't regret it.\n\nI will be sending people that ask me for my recommendations to Shivworks. I appreciate you Craig and Scott and hope you continue on this path to bring value and reality into the overly saturated "self-defense" market. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | Dense, but well organized information. Thoughtful instruction. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | Any Shivworks course is a no-brainer 5 stars. This is my second SW weekend, first time doing EWO. The content is useful for ANYONE - men, women, trained, untrained, experienced, first timer. EWO really makes you live the chaos of a real attack, but in a simulated and controlled environment. There are plenty of reps and evolutions in the coursework and Craig and his team are always very helpful. They have an answer for every question and tons of experience to back it up. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | After evolutions it would be nice to have a bit more time to receive a bit of feedback. I understand with the packed curriculum this is difficult and you can’t let people get carried away and talk and talk and talk then it would add hours. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | Excellent, especially Managing Unknown Contacts. I’ve never seen a presentation of material on mindset and awareness that was so concrete and actionable. Doing practice iterations was invaluable. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Lafayette, Indiana | 5 | Very full and challenging 2 days. Instructional technique is very effective. Explanation/demonstration of techniques by instructor, then plenty of time for students to perform reps. Good to have 2 instructors to demo and then break up to provide individual feedback during drills. Wide range of skill levels among students but class was accessible and useful to all. Although it was a large class, Craig took the time to connect personally with each student. Would definitely consider taking another Shivworks class. |
| Vehicle Combatives and Shooting Tactics (VCAST): Denver, Colorado | 5 | Absolutely phenomenal Class. Well run, good curriculum and useful information to bring back to my family.\nI would recommend any class by Shivworks with no reservations |
| Vehicle Combatives and Shooting Tactics (VCAST): Denver, Colorado | 5 | Fantastic class, time and money well spent. I really enjoyed the curriculum and pacing of the class. As always, Craig’s delivery of material was concise and on point. Brian and Scotty were excellent AI’s and provided constructive feedback throughout the course. 10/10 would take again. Thanks guys! |
| Vehicle Combatives and Shooting Tactics (VCAST): Denver, Colorado | 5 | Another fantastic class! Craig, Scotty, and Brian are always amazing to work with and impeccable instructors. This class was by far the most technical I've ever taken and forces you to be perfect in every step especially during live fire. It absolutely kicked my ass and was my worst performance personally (and of the entire class). Though it's not as physically demanding as ECQC there was something about it that made me completely uncoordinated and unable to preform task I've done in the past at an effective level. \nI love learning this stuff from these guys and being pushed to failure and embarrassment. It just forces me to re-evaluate my goals and go to work getting ready for next year.\n\np.s. The fender bender drill alone is worth the cost of admission. |
| Vehicle Combatives and Shooting Tactics (VCAST): Denver, Colorado | 5 | |
| Vehicle Combatives and Shooting Tactics (VCAST): Denver, Colorado | 5 | VCAST was a unique and challenging course. Starting Friday night with unbuckling a seat belt and culminating with a ballistics lab on Sunday after noon. Topics covered in between range from live fire engagements interior to exterior of the vehicle, managing unknown contacts during a collision with a third party, and interior vehicle entangled gun problems. Live fire was thoroughly lead, coached and mentored expectations and standards were explained, demonstrated and controlled through a dry to live fire evolution. Managing unknown contacts during a collision was a create your own ending that could end with exchanging insurance information or being executed with your own gun and often somewhere in between. Interior and or transitional gun/knife problems I.e. caught in between A pillar and door/ cabin are niche and esoteric problems where once again the cadre lead a serious of evolutions that helped students understand a basic strategy of and tactics for interior entangled gun problems. Ballistics lab was an interesting or possibly eye opening experience to the unpredictable nature of cars and bullets. Overall VCAST with Craig, Scott and Brian of shivworks was a tremendous experience that gave all patrons exposure to an entangled gun fight in and around a car. |
| Vehicle Combatives and Shooting Tactics (VCAST): Denver, Colorado | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Wilmington, Ohio | 5 | If you take self-preservation seriously, Shivworks ECQC is THE standard for training to protect yourself. They are constantly evolving and refining the curriculum. The Friday evening portion on Managing Unknown Contacts is worth the price of admission alone. This is a fairly physical class. You don't have to be a MMA fighter, but if you get winded walking up 2 flights of stairs, consider doing some work before signing up. It's not a shooting class either but better than basic handgun skills are a must. This class has had a huge impact on my training. Don't wait. Do it! |
| Shivworks Development Day - Wrestling to Achieve IFWA (In-Fight-Weapons-Access) | 5 | Excellent content and Brian was an amazing instructor. |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Wilmington, Ohio | 5 | This class was a good as I was told it would be by several instructors that I trust. I am not sure if another class exists where your skills can be pressure tested in such a safe environment. You also learn so much beyond just testing the skills you have. Craig and Brian bring so much knowledge and experience to the table that you could not find better instructors to learn the skills of weapons based grappling and close quarters shooting from. I will be adding my name to the list of those that recommend this class and look forward to taking it again myself. |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Wilmington, Ohio | 5 | It is hard to put into words exactly how impactful the ECQC experience is. But to put it simply, there is nothing like it in the training world today. This might be the most all around demanding, but meaningfully well rounded single piece of work one can do in their training/learning journey. Craig is a master of instructional methodology and course delivery but also demonstrates an absolute sincere connection with every student in the class. ECQC is a MUST, for anyone serious about the defense of themselves and those they hold dear. This is the place you can stress test your ability to avoid conflict, and deal with what comes if you cant. Can't wait to return!! |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Wilmington, Ohio | 5 | Excellent course taught by consummate professionals |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Wilmington, Ohio | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Wilmington, Ohio | 5 | Impactful, transformative & essential curricula for serious practitioners of the defensive arts. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | Great course. Whether you are a complete beginner or someone who trains combatives frequently, everyone will learn plenty and have excellent takeaways from the training. The material is presented expertly by top level instructors and the training blocks are well divided. Full recommendation. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | Excellent Methodology to ensure content retainment. Position, Pressure, Control and Stabilize/Resolve are two, powerful verbal orients to shape the fight space. Thank you! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | Fantastic content, teaching style and assembly of class material! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | This was an outstanding course. I have 20 years experience in various martial arts, and the course material Craig and Brian presented was effective and I found the curriculum taught to be extremely beneficial for my personal and professional life. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in self development and self preservation. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | The instructors had a well-planned instructional program that helped everyone with different levels of experience, including little to none, learn and combine verbal and physical movement. The material seemed authentic for the intended applications, and they provided a controlled environment for students to test themselves. I would train with them again. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Francisco, CA | 5 | A-list, top tier, world class instruction. Highly recommended. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Doswell, VA | 5 | Excellent course. Great instructors who kept things moving while having fun with each other and students. Every instruction was with purpose and meaning showing the reasoning for each. Very welcoming group of alumni and people like me who haven't taken any ShivWorks courses before. Definitely will be taking again as well as other courses offered. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Doswell, VA | 5 | This is an amazing course! You learn practical, effective and useful techniques for potentially the “worst day of your life”, while not getting fed a bunch of shit that may look sexy or sound sexy but instead is counter productive or will get you killed! Craig is an incredible human being, as well as the men and women he keeps around himself. Craig and his AI’s really know their stuff, they run an extremely safe range while still keeping things super light and enjoyable. There is a high level of intensity but paired with laughter and humor throughout the course! \nI would highly recommend this course for the most novice all the way up to the most experienced professionals, everyone WILL take away a lot from Craig’s course! I will be going back and taking more of the Shivworks courses in the future! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Doswell, VA | 5 | Fantastic course - should have taken it long ago. Will be taking lessons back to my own training. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Doswell, VA | 5 | I spend a good bit of coin each year on training. Both local, and national trainers. I can not think of better instruction, by better Cadre. The location was great, and my fellow students were motivated. Definitely will be back to sharpen the edge. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Doswell, VA | 5 | Realistic and effective training that pushes your skills and decision making in a safe environment. Best investment you can make in yourself to prepare yourself for self defense. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Doswell, VA | 5 | Great training, invaluable to every use case!! Great instruction clear and concise. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | Craigs instruction style, succinct instruction, and effective methods at making difficult concepts very quick and easy to learn, practice and demonstrate. Make this course an amazing value a and time well spent. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | The class conveyed a well-refined, concise and complete set of instruction on a discrete set of skills that are taught and drilled in a replicable fashion. Highly interactive and hands-on teaching style imbeds the skills deep in the mind. Cannot recommend highly enough for people of all backgrounds and will all skill levels. Knife fighting is not just for Ninja's anymore! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | Great training , I would recommend to everyone experienced or inexperienced |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | My only complaint is the concrete surface. More mat space or a less slippery surface would have been great. Top notch instruction and a good crowd. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | Amazing training. Craig and Brian are great teachers who clearly break down complex and hard curricula into a clear step by step program. Importantly everything taught and learned is pressure tested through the validation evolutions. Even better the second time! Looking forward to the next class! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | Fantastic instruction and material. I’ve got plenty to work on and look forward to more Shivworks courses in the future. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Surpise, Arizona | 5 | Thanks for the clear instruction. Let me know if you can share with me video of my evolutions and sparring. Do you have a private YouTube playlist or something for attendees? |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | Craig does a great job demystifying edged weapon combat. His instruction material seems very well prepared, and he is clearly a practiced instructor. I would recommend this class to all of my colleagues in law enforcement. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | Top tier instruction, relevant subject matter expertise and speed of life training. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | Craig is a man among men when it comes to quality instruction. He sets the bar all teachers should ascribe to. As for the class itself, there are those who have taken it and there are those who should take it. Each time you go, you see folks you've met there before and everyone who takes it seems to repeat it. Go enroll. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | Literally the gold standard for training!\n\nO am a huge fan, keep up the good work. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | The EWO is a valuable course and should not be taken just once. This is my second time around and I plan on a third one. Craig and all his instructors are top notch when it comes to verbally and physically explaining the techniques with the “why”. \nThe more I do this course, the more I want to become a better human being. I tell all my friends that this course I plan on taking once a year, is my yearly reset on life. It’s therapeutic due to the emotional, mental, and physical challenges you go through in just 20 hours.\nThe people you meet are very professional and have made some solid connections with them. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | I became aware of ShivWorks by stumbling onto some of their YouTube content. When the Edged Weapons Overview class was offered in my area, my sons and I signed up. This was my first self- defense class that did not involve firearms. \nThe class had approximately 29 participants from a wide variety of backgrounds and demographics. There was a couple in their 70’s and an 18-year-old. There were Military / Law Enforcement personnel and civilians. There were people with years of experience in martial arts, and people who had never taken a class. There were males and females. There were Asians, Caucasians, African Americans, and Latinos. There were white collar and blue-collar professionals. The people in the class were a cross section of America.\nThe course material was based on real-world, real-life experiences. It emphasized that the fight you avoid is the fight you win. The ShivWorks instructors began the training by giving us specific techniques to increase awareness of potential threats. The training provided a graduated scale of response to manage those threats. These responses began with verbal boundaries and escalated to physical ones.\n If an assailant breaks those boundaries, Edged Weapons Overview gives you specific, simple, and actionable techniques to employ. These techniques will enable you to get an attacker off you and keep them off you. The application of these techniques can enable you to escape and survive a dangerous encounter.\nThe ShivWorks instructors were consummate professionals with years of real world experience. Their goal was to help every participant get the most out of the course. There was NO bravado, tough guy talk or “Rambo” attitude from the instructors. They were focused on giving the class simple, actionable, techniques to solve the problems posed by real world threats.\nThe environment created by the ShivWorks instructors made everyone comfortable, which facilitated learning. Some participants had physical limitations from injury, they were accommodated. Novices like me were shown patience and focused attention. There was no such thing as a “stupid question.” \nNo matter what your background is, Edged Weapons Overview is a valuable experience. The course content is easy to understand, simple to use, and relevant to the real world. The instructors are focused on helping the participants get the most out of their time. I have no question that after taking Edged Weapons Overview, my sons and I are significantly better prepared to protect ourselves. If you take this course, you will be significantly better prepared too. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 4 | Overall, very pleased with the course. Two recommendations: 1) give a better syllabus. I went home on day 1 thinking it was nothing more than a wrestling course. Day 2 was much more of what I expected and I would have been more excited to return had I known. 2) Get rid of the 90 minute circle jerk at the end. It was about 85 minutes too long for my taste. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | So worth the price of admission! The man knows his stuff!!! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | I enjoyed the course. Craig has successfully built a course that flows aka is congruent in structure and content. Both Craig and Larry were approachable despite having to answer what is likely the same questions asked by attendees at every Shivworks EWO course. The standardization of training tools, especially foam knives is a huge improvement over my material exposure during ECQC in 2012. \n Other positives include no major injuries were observed to occur during training or evolutions. This is despite maintaining training standards and objectives which include hard physical contact. I have attended another knife focused course that was not as organized, and the standards were not made clear to new students including me. Craig's standards and the means to achieve those standards were made clear by both Craig and Larry.\n\nI hope to attend AMIS and/or VCAST next. \n\nSigned Respectfully,\nJoseph |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Fort Payne, Alabama | 5 | Outstanding training experience. Knowledge and ability to share by the instructors top grade. Recommend for everyone wishing to understand real world defense |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Onalaska, WA | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | Great class with top notch instruction. I will definitely take again and more classes that are offered. |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | Great course for anyone concerned with a real world application of self defense and especially if they plan to carry a fire arm. Plan to take it again. |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | ECQC is simply an outstanding course. Craig and Brian do a phenomenal job with the course material as well as taking a personal interest in those participating in the training. I didn't feel like a "customer," it was more like I was one of "their guys" that was getting specialized training.\n\nThe course provides exposure to and practice in relevant skills for surviving criminal interactions. Though no one can magically make you invincible, this training will greatly enhance one's confidence in dealing with human adversity. The material is deeply analyzed and expertly presented in a manner that enhances trainee retention.\n\nI could go on and on, but the bottom line is that in this person's opinion, Shivworks' ECQC is as good as it gets when learning to deal with close encounters of the worst kind. |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | I recently had the opportunity to attend the Extreme Close Quarter Concepts course by Shivworks and it was life changing. What truly sets this course apart is that it caters to individuals of all levels of expertise. Craig and Brian are eminently qualified and refreshingly ego-free, which creates a welcoming and supportive learning environment. There's a genuine focus and enthusiasm to equip all patrons with the skills necessary to thrive in high-pressure situations.\n\nAs 1 of 2 women in the class and no prior training in this field, I was extremely apprehensive about the class and worried I would not be able to keep up with all the new content. The ECQC covered a wide variety of unfamiliar topics but I found it easy to follow because of the concisely stated purpose, principles and concepts as well as the clearly explained techniques. \n\nTaking this course was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about yourself during real-world scenarios and the thoughtful analysis ensures that you leave the experience with invaluable knowledge and confidence. |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | The course material was eye opening, and is something that no other instructor can teach as well and thoroughly as Mr. Douglas and Mr. Frias. Very detailed, very thorough and safe material, and all of it coalesced together into a system and framework that I will be using for the rest of my life. I will most definitely take this course again the next time Mr. Douglas is teaching in Florida. Very grateful for this to have been my first formal training course |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | Absolutely amazing course and experience. Very attentive instructors and detailed explanations of the what and the why behind everything taught. |
| Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) - Indiantown, Florida | 5 | This was the most real world applicable training that I have ever experienced. It really showed me and exposed the gaps in my overall self-defense strategy and training. I will be working much more on grappling in the future and will definitely come back the next time you are running this course in Florida. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | Was best stated by one of the other students in class. “Everything from the front sight and closer… Craig & Brian are THE MEN you NEED to learn from.” No matter how good of a shooter you are, MUC, EWO, ECQC will keep you safer and give you the foundation to be prepared for the realities of violent crime in the here and now. \n\nIf you’ve ever thought you wanted to train with Shivworks, DO IT! You won’t regret the expense and the time. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | I found this class to be an exceptional experience. It was a mind blowing dose of reality that exposed so many misconceptions that I had about dealing with edged weapons and mitigating the threats posed by attackers who wield them. The instruction was superb and the curriculum is as refined and well developed as anything I have encountered in any field of study. Participants get a ton of "bang for their buck" and you will leave the class with a radically improved sense of your own limitations and abilities and (if you're anything like me) it will forever change the way you view knives. I highly, HIGHLY recommend EWO to anyone who is serious about learning to protect themselves and others. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | Craig's courses are the absolute top of the line anywhere in the world. The structure I'd absolutely deliberate with no time or words wasted and absolutely no bullshit where people would leave falsely empowered. Everyone that comes into these courses comes out not only with better knowledge about combative work, but a better human. I've seen people without an ounce of knowledge about fighting being able to survive a melee in the evolutions that are done in the course. \n\nDo yourself a favor, get the course, come in, come out better. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | No reservation, best self-defense curriculum I have attended to so far. Beginners and advanced students did learn and enjoyed their EWO training. The Shivworks value of minimum diversity of techniques with maximum success rates, were quite effective. How do I know? The training includes pressure testing. I felt supported and encouraged. Craig and Brian have a big heart and truly believe in their mission. I’d give a 6th star if the app allowed it. ‘François’ 😉 |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | Very knowledgeable instructors that are passionate about what they do. The course was highly organized and it can help the average person be more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Thank you!! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | If you are thinking about doing it, just do it. Its hard, but its good for your development as a person |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | Class is a very well developed curriculum based on real like context. Class ran like a well oiled machine with very little down time. Will take this class/training again. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | Fantastic and informative class. Teaching style and pacing was perfect. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Milford, NH | 5 | Amazing class, Craig and Brian are top-tier in the industry. EWO is a 10/10 class. If you want to learn the realities of the defense and the use of blades within a clinch, this is the class. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Prospect Park, PA | 5 | Excellent training. I was very impressed by the clear, concise and precise language used to explain the techniques. My only suggestion would be that the knife jab drills (both grips) might be improved by having one partner be an attacker and do something different than also jabbing. We were occupying the same space, often at the same time during the drill. Taking turns will take a little longer but I think that it would be worth it, as the student would get a better quality of repetitions under more realistic circumstances. Please come back to Delaware County (or the Philly metro area) again. I will take your training again and I am already recommending you to my friends. Thank you for providing such useful and realistic training. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Prospect Park, PA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Prospect Park, PA | 5 | I'd long been encouraged to take a Shivworks course by friends in the combatives community, and I'm glad I was finally able to do so. It was everything I needed to move forward in my training, to include how to properly and (moderately) safely pressure test in a meaningful manner, and gain better understanding of what actual chaotic violence looks like. I really appreciate this training, and look forward to both learning more and taking this to the groups I train with to answer more locale-specific issues. Lastly, I highly, HIGHLY appreciate how the lessons were constructed. In particular, one thing I didn't mention during the after-action report at the end was, as a liberal (lol) I've sort of had a bad taste for how previous pre-attack indicators and first violent engagement were taught to me, and have had to rework those instructions toward my own beliefs and peacemaking personality regarding diverse peoples and urban society. I'd say the MUK approach (strategy? protocol?) was exactly right on the mark, and provided the ideal way to explain and explore using volume as a viable dial to protect personal space. Anyway. I had a lot of takeaways over the weekend, and I'm super grateful to have had the opportunity to take this class and learn from everyone. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Prospect Park, PA | 5 | This is the way |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Prospect Park, PA | 5 | Wonderful training session. Delivered exactly what I expected and even more. I plan to recommend to anyone interested in addressing these topics in their own training, and hopefully will attend future sessions. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Prospect Park, PA | 5 | This is an amazing course and I heartily recommend it. Starting with how to manage unknown contacts in a socially accepted situation, to how to best attempt to defend yourself when these "unknown" contacts suddenly became violent and deadly assaults with an edged weapon. For me this course exposed the twilight zone of fighting for my life against an assailant armed with an edged weapon who is intent on killing me; something that I had intellectually thought about, but nothing that I had previously experienced in a physical real world training situation. This was invaluable. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | Great class overall. Lots of good information that was presented in an organized and professional manner. My only suggestion would be to handout course reference material in the form of a thumb drive or course booklet. I know this increases the workload on Shivworks but it would be nice to have material to look back on and practice in order to maintain the skills learned. Thank you again for a great course. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Columbus, Ohio | 4 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Columbus, Ohio | 5 | Very complex course made simple to retain. Game changing to say the least. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Columbus, Ohio | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Columbus, Ohio | 5 | I have attended over a dozen Shivworks classes since 2012. They are the originators. \nThe curriculum has evolved over +20 years and the content is current, relevant and accurate. They know how to teach it. They do it better than anyone. If you want or need to learn how to 'fight', Shivworks is the place to learn. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Columbus, Ohio | 5 | Outstanding instruction and course structure. Literally cannot think of anything I would suggest improve... Well done! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Columbus, Ohio | 5 | The touch time with each instructor allowed me to learn specific details for the techniques we learned. The scaffolding for the material was well programmed and thought out |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Columbus, Ohio | 5 | Top of the food chain instruction and material. Craig, Brian and Sam our top notch! Can’t wait to go back again! |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | An essential course for anyone serious about self defense. Phenomenal instruction. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | By far one of the best training courses I have ever taken. Practical, concise, no BS, rooted in reality and potentially life saving. Reality check even for the martial artists. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | Take this class if you are serious about self defense. You will learn not only how to defend yourself in a fight, but more importantly, how to manage a situation before it gets to the point of where you need to go “hands on”. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | The verbal instruction, coupled with the practical application, was phenomenal. This class was beneficial not only for law enforcement, but also for the regular citizen. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - San Diego, CA | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview for Police - Midland, TX | 5 | Overall great training. I am now confident in my abilities to carry a knife on duty and to defend against a knife attack. I would love to attend more classes. |
| Edged Weapon Overview for Police - Midland, TX | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview for Police - Midland, TX | 5 | Outstanding instruction provided by true professionals. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Sandpoint, ID | 5 | At first, I hesitated at the cost and the amount of time I'd need to be engaged in this course. However, I absolutely loved the course and the instructors take everyone's development through the course extremely seriously. Also, the camaraderie with my fellow students was unexpected. I honestly cannot wait to do another course with ShivWorks, and cannot praise the guys enough! Craig, Scotty, & Brian were amazing guys to learn from and work and have drastically shifted my "mindset" on "awareness". |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Sandpoint, ID | 5 | Great job guys. Solid delivery. Helpful content. I improved. Thank you!\n\nMore patience and respect for Chris would reflect well on your high standard of professionalism. Yes, he's fat and a nerd (I'm a nerd too), but at least he showed up and participated. |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Sandpoint, ID | 5 | very knowledgeable coaches with impressive couriers and a lot of fun to learn from I highly recommend taking a class andy austin |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Sandpoint, ID | 5 | |
| Edged Weapon Overview (EWO) - Sandpoint, ID | 5 | Amazing content; amazing instructors who are also amazing people! Loved every moment of the training! Grateful for Craig, Scottie, and Brian as well my fellow classmates for the experience and for helping me to start building the skills to “suck a little less” 🙂 |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Cottageville, SC | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Cottageville, SC | 5 | Brian and Craig are very personable. They educate in a clear concise manner that applies to real-world scenarios. They are well worth the money if you are on a budget but still need to train. I enjoyed the entire class even though it was sometimes raining and uncomfortable. Thank you both for your expertise and for breaking down the material in a way that makes sense and is easy to learn. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Cottageville, SC | 5 | Professional from beginning to end. Course content was well thought out, relevant and well presented. Highly recommended! |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Cottageville, SC | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Cottageville, SC | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Cottageville, SC | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Bastrop, TX | 5 | Great course with a lot of useful and eye-opening information. Can’t wait do it again. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Bastrop, TX | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Bastrop, TX | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Bastrop, TX | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Bastrop, TX | 5 | Exceptional material and development of motivation for the material. There was always clear reasoning and background presented for the instructors' specific instructions and their ways of doing things, yet instructors were also flexible to work with students' differing backgrounds and equipment setups. Challenges appropriate to each student's level were improvized to ensure everyone could move forward. The instructors took a variety of questions about shooting sports and combatives, and their answers covered a lot of connections between technical martial arts and police work or practical self-defense. Situational social and personal ramifications of different self-defense decisions were discussed in a grounded, evidence-based way. |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Wexford, PA | 5 | |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Wexford, PA | 5 | Great class! The instruction was excellent and the hands on portion can't be beat for the experience. |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Wexford, PA | 5 | Overall the course was great and learned a lot. |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Wexford, PA | 5 | I found the content to be extremely refined. There was no extraneous information, the language used to describe concepts was clear and concise, and there was an emphasis on goal-oriented actions rather than any obsession to perfect any particular technique.\n\nI thought the modified MUC section for LE field contacts was particularly useful. The emphasis on using precise language to avoid confusion and unintended actions was an excellent point. An officer’s ability to clearly and unambiguously articulate their commands cannot be overstated. |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Wexford, PA | 5 | Although the days were long, the concepts taught were both highly usable and retainable. I can’t wait to attend future classes. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | Time and money well spent , it was very informative. I learned a lot |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | Simply put the most relevant and well orchestrated curriculum and delivery of any course I have attended in over 2 decades |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | In 18 plus years of working in the law enforcement profession I have never taken a better class. The ECQC curriculum content, developmental drills, course structure, and instructor ability are truly second to none. The course subject matter focuses on a very unique set of challenges and skill needs that very few (if any) other industry classes address in a realistic manner. Craig and Brian apply their hard-earned years of experience and expertise to help provide students with practical and effective skills to manage the types of thorny self-defense challenges that are commonly overlooked in most training programs despite the frequency with which they manifest in the real world. \n\nThe class is focused, organized, and managed flawlessly. If you enroll in ECQC, you should rest assured that you will receive tremendous "bang for your buck" and will finish the three days with some immediately applicable new skills and many keen new insights into the problems of close range self defense. I cannot recommend this class more highly and am already looking forward to my next Shivworks training experience. Thank you, Craig and Brian! |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | This is the real deal! Definitely not a waste of time or money. You WILL learn useful skills and ideas. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | Really fun, crazy, exhausting, unique experience with Shivworks ECQC class this weekend. \n\nThe instructors are phenomenal, and the class really opened upy eyes to how much more there is to defending yourself than just being fast and deadly with a firearm.\n\nCraig, Brian, the patrons in the class were passionate and made sure to help me out individually when I needed it, which was crucial for me as someone with no fighting/ wrestling background. \n\nThank you for a great class. It is not for the faint of heart, but I am very glad I did it. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | The class was phenomenal. I felt I learned so many different aspects of close quarter self-defense. The chunking and pacing were perfect. The patience of the instructors, the ability to explain the Why's and answer the What If's were superb.The scenarios were realistic and action packed. It felt rigorous and safe the entire time and everyone was positive and supportive. I highly recommend this class and look forward to taking many more in the future. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | Great instruction, and practical exercises!\nHighly recommended! |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | If you are thinking about taking this class, just do it. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Granby, MA | 5 | |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Great Falls, MT | 5 | Great Training, Essential tactics!!! |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Great Falls, MT | 5 | Very useful information and presented in a very efficient manner. |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Great Falls, MT | 5 | |
| LEO Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (LEO only) - Great Falls, MT | 5 | |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Onalaska, WA | 5 | I got everything I wanted out of the class and more, absolutely worth the time and expense. Excited to take it again! |
| Edge Weapons Overview (EWO) - South Florida (east coast) | 5 | Excellent course. Would recommend it to anyone. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Onalaska, WA | 5 | Great course and content. Possibly think of buying drones to capture the video and audio for thunder dome. |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Onalaska, WA | 5 | ECQC, was an intense immersive and informative class. Craig and Brian are two of the foremost instructors in the self defense industry. The level of instruction is a blend of high level theory that mimics a university lecture as well as a practical application of applied knowledge, often in the form of hands on grappling. Their experience and passion shows ever second of the 2 and a half days and you leave this class better informed and better suited for an unexpected violent encounter. What you get out of the class is worth many more times what it cost. I will be taking this class again! |
| Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) - Onalaska, WA | 5 | Excellent class. World class instructors. |
| Edge Weapons Overview (EWO) - South Florida (east coast) | 5 | The bottom line is the training is excellent. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed and expertly delivered, ensuring the participants walk away with an invaluable experience filled with practical skills/knowledge devoid of industry hype that can be absorbed, practiced, and appreciated by both novices and SME alike. In addition, and perhaps the most importantly, the training enables a participant's mental paradigm shifts (humility/understanding) relative to the use/application of edge weapons. |
| Edge Weapons Overview (EWO) - South Florida (east coast) | 5 | Shivworks is hands down the best option for training if you are serious about learning how to defend yourself in the real world. No BS approach with real world applications. Can’t wait to do more. |
| Edge Weapons Overview (EWO) - South Florida (east coast) | 5 | This class changed my perspective on survivability in a knife altercation. Great class well worth the effort and cost to participate. Craig is one of the best instructors I’ve ever worked with in any capacity. |
| Edge Weapons Overview (EWO) - South Florida (east coast) | 3 | To many people. Felt as if some of the student were just there to bully other student and treated the evolutions as a competition rather than learning lab. To much emphasis on strength based wrestling. Not on how to equalize with a blade.\nDid not attend 2nd day as i felt there was a high likely hood of being injured for no reason |
| Edge Weapons Overview (EWO) - South Florida (east coast) | 5 | Excellent course! If you are on the fence sign up! Looking forward to taking other courses from Shivworks. |
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