Our Educators 

Meet Chris Natzke and Theresa Byrne, the founders of Higher Self Defense.

For over four decades, Chris Natzke has been a dedicated student and teacher of the martial arts, achieving the rank of 7th Degree Black Belt/Master Instructor, ranking him in the top 1% of all martial artists in the world. Also an accomplished national competitor, Chris won the Gold Medal in the United States National Taekwondo Championships in 1999. In 1995, he left a very successful career in corporate sales to create his martial arts organization, the Colorado Alliance of Martial Arts (CAMA).

Since that time, the lives of thousands of students (both children and adults) and their families have been positively impacted through his teachings, with over 600 students reaching junior and advanced ranks of Black Belt.
Now Chris is taking his impactful message beyond the walls of the martial arts school and out into the world. Businesses and organizational leaders are positively impacted by his message highlighting his “7 Qualities of Black Belt Leadership”. These qualities represent his journey over four decades in martial arts, personal development, motivation and leadership. In addition to his work with companies and organizations, Chris has also impacted thousands both in the Denver area and nationally through his “Kindness Counts” program. Through his programs, school-age children are taught bully-proofing verbal self-defense skills as well as the benefits of non-violent conflict resolution. As a result, over 250,000 documented random acts of kindness have been generated in the Denver community since 2005.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Northwestern University and a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. He is also the author of book “Black Belt Leadership: 7 Keys to Creating a Life of Purpose by Discovering Your Inner Champion”. Chris Natzke is a 7th Degree Black Belt and a super guy with a heart full of hope that we can teach many people how to defend themselves well. http://www.ChrisNatzke.com  – email him at Chris@HigherSelfDefense.com

Theresa Byrne: has been on a path helping people find and own their innate power (what she calls “InPower”) her entire life. http://www.TheresaByrne.com 

Background: She’s been training and teaching martial arts and defense for over 20 years. She’s a 4th Degree Black Belt Master Instructor and owner of a martial arts studio in Denver, CO. She’s also a certified Anger Management Educator, Adrenal Stress Training Coach, fitness professional and massage therapist with a background in several healing modalities (she worked at and ran a crisis hotline through college and has a degree in Communication Studies with concentrations in both Social Work and Psychology).

Media: Nationally she’s filmed documentaries, starred in and created the fight choreography for a movie, and co-hosted several TV shows and series as the female expert; her love is teaching audiences new ways to understand their abilities to get out of uncomfortable situations and learn how to set boundaries gracefully. Episodes and shows can be found on networks like ABC Family and SPIKE TV. Theresa has become a leading authority on self-defense, personal power and also a Master Boundary Setting Educator.


Writing: Theresa’s also a published author and online columnist/writer with “The Good Men Project” and “Huffington Post”. Her first book, “InPower: 3 Ways to Unleash Your Superpowers” came out in 2013 as a workbook.Her second book, an eBook titled “Is There School In Heaven?” was released under the pseudonym Marie D’Angelo. Her latest book, “The Secrets of Setting Healthy Boundaries in Dating” was released on Amazon in spring of 2016. Her next book, “Understanding Anger”, is due out early in 2017.  Email her at Theresa@HigherSelfDefense.com

Some defense tips from Chris Natzke: