Mark has received numerous awards and plaques from martial art associations, schools, security and private investigator associations, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and women’s groups for self defense training.   He has been inducted into several International Martial Arts Halls of Fame for his contributions and success as an instructor.  In 2005, he completed and released for international distribution: Anatomical Targeting Strategies (ATS), an instructional certification program with three DVDs and manuals.  He has served over seven years on active duty (1989-1996) in the U.S. Army Medical Corp as a Combat Medic, E.M.T, and licensed nurse.  He holds a B.S. in Business Administration Summa Cum Laude from Upper Iowa University and an M.B.A. from Cardinal Stritch University.  He holds an academic faculty position for the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences- Department of Human Movement.  He also specializes in medical practice leadership and management in southeastern Wisconsin.  Mark shares a deep affinity for both the martial and healing arts.

Sue Harrits is a well rounded and very practical martial artist and co-founder of "Life Protection Skills for Women by Women".  She has achieved a third degree black belt and been appointed as Head Instructor for Life Protection Arts & Sciences in Combat Hapkido (the science of self defense).  In addition, she has achieved the rank of black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Ryukyu Kempo Tode-Jitsu.  She has a true affinity for the martial arts and shows her passion and her dedication to the arts by teaching others.  Sue has been teaching for the past several years and has specialized in the creation and coordination of several women’s self defense workshops.  She has also studied or received specialized training in: Russian Systema, Kavanah, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, defensive knife tactics, ground survival skills, and other weapons such as stick, cane and gun.  Sue works as a top executive for Patrick Cudahy, where she is one of the few females to ever achieve that status.  She has a strong desire to continue her pursuit of learning martial skills and has a true love in sharing that information with others.

David Leannah has nearly a decade of experience in numerous martial arts.  He currently holds a second degree blackbelt in Combat Hapkido, as well as blackbelt ranks in Ryukyu Kempo and Tae Kwon Do.  Dave has pursued the healing aspects of the arts for years and is a Certified Medical Qigong Practitioner through the International Institute of Medical Qigong.  He has recieved training in various aspects of martial arts and is able to teach how to integrate these concepts into your own personal art.  He has contributed to the development and advancement of Life Protection since its inception. Dave is an IT executive at a large firm and a dedicated family man.  

Gaye Feldman began taking martial arts after an empowering rape awareness and prevention course over eight years ago after being victimized several times in the past thirty-five years.   She is an accomplished second degree black belt in Combat Hapkido and additionally, holds rank in Ryukyu Kempo Tode-Jitsu.  She is a co-founder of "Life Protection Skills for Women by Women".  Gaye has also studied or received specialized training in: Russian Systema, defensive knife tactics, ground survival skills, and other weapons (stick, cane, gun).  She has helped coordinate and facilitate several women’s self defense and disability seminars and is currently assisting instruction of self defense classes for disabled children and adults.  She has worked for Covenant Health Care in a Wauwatosa medical clinic as a Medical Assistant for the past 28 years.  Through perseverance, Gaye has gained valuable skills and immeasurable confidence through the martial arts and has a desire to continue to bring that empowering feeling to others 

Elizabeth Gridley is Vice President of Life Protection Arts & Sciences.  She is a professionally trained presenter and co-founder of "Life Protection Skills for Women by Women". She continues to study and holds rank in three styles of reality based self defense systems of martial arts: Combat Hapkido first degree blackbelt (the science of self defense), Ryukyu Kempo Tode-Jitsu, an Okinawan pressure point combat art and Kavanah, an Israeli dynamic self defense system.  She is a certified Taiji Qigong: Six forms for health instructor. She has also studied or received specialized training in: Russian Systema, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, defensive knife tactics, ground survival skills, and other weapons such as stick, cane and gun.  Liz works in the compensation department for Aurora Health Care and holds an undergraduate degree in Business, specifically Human Resource Management with honors. As a woman, she has had to use her skills in the real world.  Through her experiences, she strongly believes in empowering others to grow personally and professionally.  She has a passion to share the continual and ongoing benefits from the life skills she has learned through her self protection training.             

 “My personal mission is to lead a life centered on the principles of integrity, service, excellence and empowerment.  To remember what’s important in life is contribution, happiness, purpose, personal growth and development of talents.”

-Mark S. Gridley

Formal Martial Study since 1988

5th Degree Black Belt Combat Hapkido (Chon Tu Kwan Hapkido)

Certified Master Instructor Combat Hapkido

5th Degree Black Belt Ryukyu Kempo Tode-Jitsu

Master Instructor Dillman Karate International 

Kyusho-Jitsu Kenkyukai Sensei

Korea Ki-Do Association and World Ki-Do Federation 3^rd Dan Certification

Combat Hapkido Seminar Leader 

Director of the ICHF Anatomical Targeting Strategies (ATS) Program

4th Degree Black Belt Israeli Kavanah

4th Degree Black Belt World Survival Hisardut

Kavanah Instructor Certification

1st Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do (Kukkiwon)

International Police Defensive Tactics Institute Faculty

Certified Military Combatives Instructor

Certified Ground Survival Instructor

Certified TaiJi Qigong Instructor (Peng You Taiji Quan)

Defense-Ability Instructor

Director of the IDSA Ground Survival Program

American Kickboxing/Karate Instructor

2010 Martial Arts International Budo (Europe) Hall of Fame Inductee

2008 IAMA Hall of Fame Inductee

2006 World Karate Union Hall of Fame Inductee

2006 Action Magazine International Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee

2005 BUDO International Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee

2004 WHFSC International Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee

Specialized training in:

Knife, Blunt Weapon and Gun Disarming, Defensive Knife and Stick, Cane, Ground Survival, Pressure Point Applications & Professional Self Defense Instruction 

Affiliations:

International Combat Hapkido Federation-Vice President

Dillman Karate International-Affiliate School

International Police Defensive Tactics Institute-Licensed Instructor

International Disabled Self Defense Association-WI State Director

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee-College of Health Sciences - Department of Human Movement-Academic Faculty

International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA)- Member

Humane Defensives Consortium-Member

International Kavanah Federation-Charter Member

Independant Tae Kwon Do Association-Member

World Martial Arts Alliance- Lifetime Member

Cane Masters International Association-Member

Tony Blauer’s Self-Defense System-Member

Military Combatives Association- Lifetime Member

Other Arts of Interest:

 Studied with no ranking or professed proficiency

but as an ongoing journey in the Arts

 Jeet Kune Do                   Russian Martial Art-Systema               Chu Fen Do

Indonesian Kuntao Silat              Chinese Kenpo             Small Circle Jujitsu  

Arnis/Kombatan                         Tai Chi Chuan                             Qi Gong 

Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu                       Mixed Martial Arts                      Kiai-Jitsu