About Us

Personal Defense Industries LLC

Kore Self-Defense is the Personal Defense Industries’ physical training center located in Loudoun County, Virginia providing self-defense training anchored in the Krav Maga Global curriculum and fueled by continuous research in the evolution of conflict and violence in the post-modern world. Unlike other Krav Maga based programs, our goals are not based on a systemic martial arts paradigm. Learn more about owner & Program Diretor, Dr. Tammy Yard-McCracken (linked over to the page mentioned above).

Krav Maga Global (KMG) & Chiron Training

Home to KMG MidAtlantic and affiliated with KMG headquarters in Israel, Kore is more than just another martial arts program. Think of Krav Maga is our “hardware” and reality based self-defense as our “software”. Our Program Developer & Owner works collaboratively with Chiron Training & the International Violence Dynamics Team to create a principle based self-defense training program complimenting the physical skills in Krav Maga Global’s curriculum. A well-trained instructor team supports students of all levels to exceed their own expectations.

Before you step on the mat,
we encourage you to meet our team.

KORE SELF DEFENSE LEADERSHIP

Meet Owner & Program Director, Tammy Yard-McCracken

Andrea BoyerDirector, General Operations & Senior Instructor, Adult Program

Andrea (Andi) Boyer is a certified Krav Maga Global Instructor, and health coach with over 15 years experience as a pilates instructor. As general operations director, she assists in research/development for the training center, manages daily operations alongside the owner, and as a senior instructor teaches both fitness and self-defense classes in our adult program.

Andi’s training resume includes time with Eyal Yanilov, Ilya Dunsky, Jan Tavini, and others from the Krav Maga Global international team. She has also trained with Rory Miller, Terry Trahan, Randy King, & Kasey Keckeisen – all members of the Violence Dynamics cadre.

Andi is the primary instructor in Kore’s unique, principle-based onboarding course [required for all prospective members] contributing to it’s evolution with her depth of knowledge in biomechanics. She participated in Kore’s first instructor college becoming certified as a Krav Maga Global instructor inside of 18 months.

Outside the Gym:

Andi is a hardcore music lover and a staunch supporter of all things Canadian (hint, that’s where she’s from). She spends as much time outdoors as she can hiking her way around Northern Virginia. Andi spends some of her free time researching and reading about self-defense and is a fan of the New England Patriots, hockey and UFC. She and her husband Jesse, have lived in the DMV area for several years.

Brian MasonDirector, Kore Warriors (kids) Program & Senior Instructor, Adult Program

Brian is an inaugural member of Kore Krav Maga, joining the training program in the first few weeks of our existence. He has been instrumental in the development of both our adult and youth training program spearheading our premier youth self-defense program.

Brian is a Certified Instructor with Krav Maga Global and carries specialization certifications in the following:
Kids Instructor Training
Women’s Instructor Training
Combat Mindset
Law Enforcement Instructor Training

He has a unique understanding of what it takes to work from ground zero to become a high performing practitioner. He shares with students how training in Krav Maga has improved his physical health, but also how it has improved his capacity for managing stress and comfort level in difficult situations in all areas of life.

As director of our youth program Krav Maga & Self-Defense program, Brian overseas a team of volunteer coaches developing their skills as both practitioners and coaches from the ground floor. His guidance and leadership has created a program recognized throughout the county. He also teaches multiple youth classes each week and is one of two senior instructors in the adult program.

Outside The Gym:

Brian is an IT Specialist. He and his wife are members of the community surrounding Kore Krav Maga’s reach. In addition to Krav Maga, Brian enjoys paintball and is a beta tester for one of the paintball industry’s leading manufacturers. He is comfortable on the firearms range with a breadth of knowledge in this arena of personal protection, has a lifelong practice in magic/illusion and dabbles in Fencing.

INSTRUCTOR CADRE

Dan McCrackenCertified Instructor

Dan is a certified instructor with Krav Maga Global. With over 200 hours of instructor development training with KMG and passing one of the most rigorous instructor qualification testings in the industry, he lends his support to the development team as an acting law enforcement consultant & regular instructor. He has trained directly with Eyal Yanilov and brings over 23 years in law enforcement at the local and federal levels.

Amy MaxwellCertified Instructor

Amy Maxwell is a certified instructor with Krav Maga Global. She has trained under Eyal Yanilov and other members of the acclaimed international instructor team.

Amy began training at Kore Krav Maga in our first 6 months of operation and has been an integral element in our efforts to increase the number of female instructors here in the area & in the U.S. She utilizes her understanding of goal development and what it takes to accomplish difficult tasks in her work with students on the mat.

Jesse BoyerCertified Instructor

Jesse Boyer is a certified instructor with Krav Maga Global. He is a valuable member of our instructor cadre and is one of our core instructors for the Kore Training Course, the required foundations program for all new students.

He is a powerful example of someone who understands good tactical thinking never relies on sheer power & size. From a career perspective, Jesse has worked in the financial industry, including a stint at the world bank. What this means on the mat? He possesses a depth in understanding human behavior when confronting something with multi-layered levels of importance and personal meaning. If you are training in self-defense, this knowledge is a valuable element.

Rory MillerConsigliere

As Consigliere, Rory supports the training programs as Subject Matter Expert in Violence Dynamics and advisor to curriculum development/programming in the self-defense program. Kore’s foundations of self-defense course, The Kore Training Course, is a product of the Rory’s collaboration with our Chief Instructor, Tammy McCracken. For more information on Rory Miller, his training series and published works we encourage you to visit his website: Chiron Training.