Peter Honigmann, founder and head instructor, started his training in Kenpo Karate at the age of 15, under Grandmaster John McSweeney, one of Ed Parker's first black belts. John believed that self defense should be simple, fast and powerful, so he focused on teaching his students powerful key strikes to the most vulnerable targets on the body. Peter has followed John's example, and continued studying Kenpo for 12 years under John, John's student Tom Saviano, and Tom Saviano's student Steve Rigitano.
Peter then moved on to Krav Maga, Escrima and Hapkido, which he believes has helped him to create a well-rounded self-defense system that provides the student with a range of options against common unarmed street attacks and against clubs, guns and knives.
The focus of Best Defense Concepts is teaching students simple and effective strikes, techniques and concepts that will work for the individual, based on his or her strengths. BDC is about learning to survive violent encounters, which means avoidance and de-escalation whenever possible, and then using violence only as a last option.
