Wow! What a fantastic self-protection program that was given by Norton Arts! Robert’s session was informative, useful and very real. He focused heavily on prevention and armed us with simple moves to use should we ever need them. I was thoroughly impressed with his professionalism and delivery of the material.

We need this type of training in our schools, for health care providers, and for the general public! I hope to see lots of other people using Robert to teach these skills. I highly recommend him!

EXIT Realty PEI

My daughter Alisha and I took this before she went volunteering and backpacking in Peru. It was a very informative class with great hands-on instruction by Robert of real-life situations and quick tangible solutions. I feel 100% better knowing Alisha has had this training before traveling on her own for the first time. It was also fun We learned a lot ...I wish I'd of taken this years ago. Highly recommend this!

I have become much more aware of how to protect my personal space in a confident manner as a result of attending this course and am suggesting it be brought to the public's attention as an important LIFE SKILL.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Women’s Self Defence Workshop with Rob Norton!  It was DEFINITELY a worthwhile experience! It was very interactive, with the class actively participating on learning a variety of self-defence moves! You may think that you live on “quiet” PEI, and it’s something you would never have to use so why “waste” your time?! Think again!!

  These techniques could help you in a variety of situations, whether you are walking down the street, at a bar, or at home (yes…. domestic abuse does happen!) This is a class that women YOUNG AND OLD would benefit from! For high school, and university / college students, this is definitely worth taking! Taking a pro-active approach to protect your body OR LIFE ... IS WORTH IT! 

The content was very well presented and clearly explained. I liked how we progressed from the easiest situation to the most difficult with the goal of de-escalation at every step. Your instructions were simple and I feel that I am much better equipped to deal with a potential aggressor despite the inevitable brain-freeze that those situations create. I want every woman I know to have these skills. I think it's especially important for young women. I remember being 18 (although it was a long time ago) and feeling indestructible. I would never have signed up for something like this, so, ideally it would be great to get buy-in from the schools so that more young women learn to protect themselves and fewer become victims.

It was excellent, Robert! Thank you very much for offering this informative workshop, and for sharing your expertise. It was a privilege to have this opportunity to learn some vital self-defence (and life-saving) skills. Every girl on PEI would benefit from this course, whether young or old... from knowing her rights... to learning pro-active verbal and non-verbal strategies, and basic physical response maneuvers. It's an increasingly dangerous world out there, and investing in our own personal safety is a must. The course is thorough, and the exercises bring modern-day realism.

  There is also violence among teens (and in the high schools) so courses for teenagers to help protect themselves would be great too. There are so many areas where the courses could potentially branch out..hope to hear about any more that you offer! 

For me, the best attributes to this course were preventative measures to try and prevent physical contact, like being aware of your surroundings. There is so much more to what you teach. Protecting yourself means putting yourself and your safety first above all! This is mental awareness. Something I was lacking before this course. Although knowing how to defend yourself in situations is empowering as well, what I will cherish is the knowledge of the avoidance of situations and the awareness! I have so much respect for what you do! After being through all the things I have in my life, and being able to push through this class I know anyone with any background can do it too! I'm taking back my life and my pride and hope others will be inspired to do the same as well. Thank you for supporting my journey and helping me along my way. You’re doing wonderful things by empowering women! It's exactly what this island needs! More empowering and awareness and less focus on the aftermath of violence.

“While I hate to think something horrible could happen to me, I’ve always wanted to learn how to defend myself in case of an attack. But I’ve put off training because of concern I’d only be gaining enough knowledge to get myself into trouble. All the instruction I’ve seen in the past has been complicated and, to be frank, made me feel like I had to have ninja skills to make them work, especially in a stress situation where thinking is often impossible. Rob Norton’s class showed me how simple and straight forward defence can be, should be. His clear, concise and encouraging teaching style made me instantly comfortable with him and for the first time I felt confident in stepping forward to learn to defend myself. Instead of complicated and terrifying instructions that I knew would escape my mind and leave me vulnerable in a stressful and/or dangerous situation, I now feel like, should the need arise, I can do what I need to and escape without having to constantly practice techniques or do much thinking. Thank you, Rob! I highly recommend this style of self-defence for all women.”

I really wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but it was a real eye-opener for me. Robert is awesome! He is an expert in this field and genuinely cares about your safety. Learning how to mentally recover more quickly from the surprise & fear that might accompany an assault so you can defend yourself is crucial. Everyone practices how to get out of just about any way someone could grab you (how to be smarter, not stronger, than your attacker). I recommend it for every woman - PEI may be small, but it is not crime-free!!!

I took one of Rob’s one-day workshops & learned a lot! He was helpful, comfortable and challenged us. I’d recommend checking it out. Make investing in safety as important as your morning coffee run.

From a psychological aspect, we learned how to use body language and other cues to perhaps prevent an incident or have our attacker underestimate us.  Perhaps even more valuable, we gained confidence in how we would be able to handle such a situation.  From a physical aspect, we learned things to do if we ever ended up in a situation we needed to get out of. This workshop was exactly what I was hoping for.  I think the most valuable thing I took away was what I learned about myself and how I would handle myself.  I always had ideas of how I would react in these situations but the truth is, I was totally wrong.  During the exercises in the workshop, where I *knew* someone was sneaking up behind me, I still froze.  It was a real eye-opener.

Very informative and simple enough that hopefully, I will remember it if the need ever arises. The workshop was a good length. It was long enough that you were able to cover lots of situations but not so long that we were tired and no longer absorbing.

I really enjoyed the class and was very impressed with your knowledge and teaching abilities. I walked away from the class feeling much more secure in my abilities to defend myself, and that was 100% worth the price I paid. I think it’s so important in the world we live in today to know basic self-defence training and you knocked it out of the park! I would recommend your class to everyone I know. I think teaching this class in university campuses would be the perfect target audience. I have several friends whom I wish could take your class! 

This workshop provided a great overview of possible scenarios. It had an adequate depth of study and was very entertaining. I was worried it would feel like a long day but couldn’t believe how quickly the time flew by. I highly recommend the experience to friends. 

I am beyond pleased with the self-defence workshop I participated in. I have become more aware of my surroundings, rights and how to defend myself. Rob’s style of teaching enables you to think, understand and practice techniques. I highly recommend the workshops to everyone.

“I had an enjoyable morning, was engaged the entire time and I found the content to be easy to understand and follow.”