At Dragonfly Academy of Integrated Defensive Arts, our mission is to deliver elite, reality-based defensive training created by the foremost experts in personal protection, conflict survival, and human performance. Through programs like PRIME and BLADE, we equip everyday people—especially those in marginalized and underserved communities—with the skills, mindset, and confidence to protect life when it matters most. We do not teach fear. We teach preparation, accountability, and the power to survive.

Salute!

 My name is Christopher Thompson, I am the co-founder alongside of Michael Sensei of Dragonfly Academy!

As a lifelong practitioner, I began my martial arts journey in the nineties with Okinawan Karate and Way of the crane, and transitioned into Ed Parkers Kenpo Karate, with Vision Quest Kenpo in Colorado! I became an assistant instructor with their program for teenagers to learn how to become Sensei's until my father opened a rec-center program and built from the ground up his company Dragonfly Integrated Martial Arts Academy. Integrating Kenpo, with grappling and weapons defense as an Mma school. We ran our family dojo for ten years from 2000-2010. In 2014, everything changed with a situation that led me to Filipino martial arts and firearms training. While I still taught Kenpo and have been for the last 27 years, I knew that we had to cross train and and learn as much as possible. For the last eleven years, I have been carrying a sidearm on me every day, training in Kali and achieving certifications as firearms instructor, then as range safety officer with USCCA, & then a certified firearm specialist with IFSA. 

What I found in my study of both literature, from excellent authors such as Randy King, Rory Miller and much of my father's teachings growing up. Was the things that we were doing had different usages and many unarmed applications. But that weapons, multiple attackers, and circumstances, change everything about what real world violence looks like. I've spent the last decade, studying and training to be as educated and skilled as possible with every practical self defense tool, and maintaining the white belt mentality! It is instructors like Michael sensei who has been teaching for over a decade longer than myself, and studying for even more than that is that we have so much to learn and many of the veteran instructors passing down their knowledge and help us all become better!! 

Then the pandemic changed everything, and I created my online company My Self Defense Studio.I spent 5 years developing what you could actually do online now, while we knew it wasn't as good as in person, we also knew that there were many skills. And knowledge that we could pass along still on the internet. We then made it a requirement for people who would be training to eventually come into sparring camps, ensure that their skills were both pressure tested.And had a minimum of forty hours on the mat!

 We have built multiple systems to address the reality of violence today, and what self defense as a whole should be studied and shared as!

Michael Sensei honored me to collaborate with and in paying homage what my family's school used to be by naming the company we bring forth to you now! Together we have created Dragonfly Academy of Integrated Defensive Arts. Bringing forth the experiences from our lives as well as the integration of firearm training, edged weapon training and real life self defense skills! In our hope that we may be able to share and teach as many as possible for the enrichment and safety of our communities!

Thank you for your time, looking forward to serving you in your journey!!