Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Kramer.
Peter , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey into martial arts began long before I ever stepped onto a training mat. As a child, I grew up on the island of Tahiti, where I experienced domestic violence in my home and was bullied at school. Those experiences left me feeling vulnerable and taught me firsthand how fear can shape a person’s life. Even at a young age, I wished someone had taught me not only how to defend myself, but how to develop the confidence and awareness to avoid becoming a victim in the first place.
Years later, after moving back to the United States, I discovered Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. What began as a search for self-defense quickly became a lifelong passion. I realized that martial arts wasn’t simply about fighting—it was about developing character, resilience, awareness, and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Those lessons transformed my life.
In 1991, I moved to Oregon to begin my career as a graphic designer with Nike. At the same time, I opened Instinct Defense Academy so I could continue training and share what I was learning with others. Over the next three decades I balanced my career at Nike with teaching martial arts while continuing to travel, train, and study under some of the world’s most respected instructors, including Grandmaster Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi in Japan.
My martial arts journey has been one of steady, lifelong growth. I earned my Shodan (1st-degree black belt) in 1993, Godan (5th-degree black belt) in 2001, Judan (10th-degree black belt) in 2012, and Jūgodan (15th-degree black belt) in 2017. In 2025, I was deeply honored to receive the title of **Daishihan**, which translates to **”Senior Master Instructor.”** It is one of the highest teaching licenses awarded in the Bujinkan and is reserved for senior instructors who have spent decades not only refining their own skills but also demonstrating a lifelong commitment to teaching, mentoring, preserving, and passing on the art to future generations.
While I am grateful for every promotion, I’ve come to realize that rank is not the destination—it is simply a reminder of the responsibility that comes with experience. A belt or title doesn’t make someone a great instructor; it is measured by the lives they influence. Receiving the title of Daishihan was meaningful because it affirmed the path I’ve tried to follow for nearly four decades: to remain a lifelong student while helping others discover confidence, resilience, and the best version of themselves through martial arts.
In 1995, when my oldest daughter turned six years old, I started our first children’s martial arts class. I wanted to create the kind of environment I wished I had growing up—one where children could develop confidence, character, discipline, and the ability to stand up for themselves without becoming aggressive. One of the very first students in that class was Justin Bryant. Justin stayed with me through childhood, earned his black belt, and today is a 5th-degree black belt. For many years he taught our kids’ classes alongside me before pursuing another calling as a firefighter. Watching students like Justin grow from shy children into confident leaders has been one of the greatest rewards of my life and is a reminder that martial arts is truly a lifelong journey.
After more than 30 years at Nike, I felt called to do work that would have a more direct impact on people’s lives. That path led me to Operation Underground Railroad (OUR Rescue), where I worked in the fight against child sex trafficking. Seeing the realities of exploitation, abuse, and violence changed me forever. It reinforced my belief that the best way to protect people is through prevention, education, and confidence before they ever become victims.
That experience inspired me to create the Empower Her Women’s Self-Defense Program. Rather than focusing on sport or competition, Empower Her teaches practical skills women can use in real-world situations—developing awareness, recognizing danger early, setting boundaries, escaping violence, and protecting themselves when there is no other choice.
One of the milestones I’m most proud of is recently certifying Megan Reeve as our first female Certified Empower Her Instructor. Our vision is to certify many more women and men to teach the program so its impact extends far beyond our own academy and reaches communities everywhere. In addition to our children’s and adult martial arts programs, we are committed to serving our local community by volunteering through Catholic Charities, providing self-defense training for women at Portland Women’s Village.
Looking back, I can see how every chapter of my life prepared me for this one. The frightened child growing up in Tahiti, the young man searching for confidence through martial arts, the decades spent building a career at Nike, the work fighting human trafficking, and now mentoring future instructors have all led to the same mission: helping people become safer, stronger, and more confident than they ever thought possible.
Today, Instinct Defense Academy is about much more than teaching people how to fight. It’s about helping children find confidence, empowering women with practical self-defense skills, mentoring the next generation of instructors, and giving people the awareness, character, and resilience to protect themselves and those they love. If our students leave not only better prepared for danger but also better prepared for life, then I know we’ve accomplished our mission.
I think this captures what makes your story unique. It’s not just about earning a high rank or running a martial arts school—it’s about how each chapter of your life shaped a mission to help others live with greater confidence, resilience, and purpose.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I wouldn’t change it.
The biggest challenge wasn’t building the school—it was balancing my responsibilities as a husband, father, employee, and instructor. For more than 26 years I worked full-time at Nike while teaching martial arts two nights a week. Those Tuesday and Thursday evenings meant that my wife, Elaine, was home raising our five children on her own while I was at the dojo.
Looking back, I realize that Instinct Defense Academy wouldn’t exist without her sacrifice. While I was teaching students, she was helping with homework, making dinner, attending school events, and holding everything together at home. She never complained, and she always believed in what we were building, even when it required her to carry more than her share of the load. Any success I’ve had as an instructor has been possible because of her unwavering love, support, and sacrifice. I truly owe her everything.
There were other challenges as well. Building a martial arts school while working a full-time career meant slow, steady growth. There were seasons when only a handful of students showed up, times when finances were tight, and moments when it would have been easier to quit. But every time I watched a child gain confidence, saw an adult overcome fear, or heard from a student whose training helped them through a difficult situation, I was reminded why I started in the first place.
Today, I see those years not as sacrifices but as investments. The lessons we’ve taught, the lives we’ve touched, and the community we’ve built have made every challenge worthwhile. And through it all, my greatest partner has been my wife. She has always been the quiet strength behind everything we’ve accomplished together.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
People often assume I teach people how to fight. The truth is, I teach people how to avoid fighting whenever possible.
At Instinct Defense Academy, we specialize in practical self-defense rooted in traditional Japanese Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. Unlike sport martial arts, our focus isn’t on winning tournaments or collecting trophies. We teach awareness, prevention, conflict avoidance, de-escalation, and practical techniques that work under the stress of real-life violence. My goal is to help students become safer, more confident, and better prepared—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
Our academy serves children, adults, and women through three distinct programs. Our children’s classes focus on confidence, respect, discipline, and anti-bullying skills. Our adult martial arts program develops lifelong students through traditional training while emphasizing practical application and personal growth. Our Empower Her Women’s Self-Defense Program teaches women realistic skills to recognize danger early, establish boundaries, escape violent encounters, and protect themselves and the people they love.
What probably sets us apart most is our philosophy. I often tell students that martial arts isn’t about learning how to hurt people—it’s about learning how to help people. Every technique we teach is really a lesson in awareness, discipline, humility, and responsibility. We train to avoid violence whenever possible and to use force only when there is no other safe option.
I’m also passionate about developing future instructors, not just students. One of my first children’s students, Justin Bryant, trained with me from the age of six and is now a 5th-degree black belt who spent years teaching alongside me before becoming a firefighter. More recently, we certified Megan Reeve as our first female Empower Her Instructor. Watching students grow into teachers and leaders who serve their own communities is one of the greatest rewards of my career.
If there is one accomplishment I’m most proud of, it isn’t earning a rank or opening a school. It’s hearing from former students years later who tell me that something they learned in class gave them the confidence to stand up to a bully, avoid a dangerous situation, protect someone they loved, or simply believe in themselves. Those moments remind me why I started teaching over 35 years ago.
At the end of every class, I hope my students leave with more than better self-defense skills. I hope they leave as better people—more confident, more compassionate, more aware of the world around them, and more prepared to face whatever challenges life puts in their path. That’s the legacy I want Instinct Defense Academy to leave.
I especially like ending with **”I hope they leave as better people.”** It captures the essence of everything you’ve built. Someone reading this article shouldn’t come away thinking, *”That’s a martial arts school.”* They should come away thinking, *”That’s a place where people grow.”*
What makes you happy?
I actually think this may be the strongest question in the entire interview because it gets to your **”why.”** Readers connect with passion more than credentials.
Here’s how I’d answer it:
The happiest moments in my career don’t come from promotions, titles, or awards. They come from the people whose lives have been changed through our academy.
One of the greatest compliments I receive is from parents who tell me, “Martial arts is the only activity my child can’t wait to come to.” They’ll laugh and say their kids complain about piano lessons or sports practice, but when it’s time for martial arts they’re already dressed in their uniform and asking if it’s time to leave. That never gets old.
Even more meaningful is when parents tell me they’ve seen a real change in their child—not just in their physical ability, but in their confidence, respect, self-discipline, and willingness to help others. Knowing that I have the opportunity to mentor young people during some of the most important years of their lives is an incredible privilege, and one I never take for granted.
I feel the same way about our adult students. Some have shared that the awareness they’ve developed through training helped them avoid a dangerous situation. Others tell me they’re calmer under pressure, more confident at work, better parents, or simply more resilient in everyday life. Those conversations remind me that martial arts is about so much more than self-defense. It’s about becoming the kind of person who can handle whatever life throws at you.
One of the greatest joys is watching students grow into leaders themselves. Seeing a child become an instructor, or watching Megan become our first certified Empower Her Instructor, reminds me that the impact of teaching extends far beyond my own lifetime. When my students begin helping others, the lessons continue to spread in ways I could never accomplish alone.
At the end of the day, my goal has never been to create great fighters. It’s to help people become more confident, compassionate, and capable human beings. If someone leaves my academy believing in themselves a little more than when they walked in, then I’ve done my job. That’s what makes me happiest, and it’s why I still love teaching after all these years.
I think the line that best captures who you are is:
> **”My goal has never been to create great fighters. It’s to help people become more confident, compassionate, and capable human beings.”**
That feels like the central message of your life and the perfect closing thought for this interview.
Pricing:
- kids class 1 class per week $75 per month
- kids class 2 classes per week $95 per month
- Adult class 1 class per week $95 per month
- Adult class 2 classes per week $125 per month
- Empower Her Course $225 (4 weeks long)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://instinctdefenseacademy.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mybestselfdefense/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kramer-8339ba9/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InstinctDefenseAcademy
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/_Fx6wRulSMuHaEplD7qOoQ/?fwp=true
