Our Team
Verbal Defense was founded in 2009 by three individuals who came together to leverage their expertise to address the devastating problem of youth bullying.
- Dr. George Thompson – founder of the Verbal Judo Institute, a global training organization in conflict prevention and de-escalation.
- Master Chan Lee – owner of JK Lee Black Belt Academy, a martial arts school in Milwaukee, WI with five locations and 1500 students.
- Gary T. Klugiewicz — a director at Verbal Defense & Influence, a global training organization focused on maximizing human interaction.
Since then, Verbal Defense has expanded its team, which now includes:
- Internal Team of Allen Oelschlaeger, Dave Young, Chuck Zamora, Kathy Mangold, Kati Tillema
- Network of Verbal Defense & Influence speakers/trainers
- Network of certified martial arts schools
- Network of certified Manage Bullying speakers
