Katie is the Self Defense Program Director at Combat Sports Academy (CSA Gym) in Pleasanton, California, one of the preeminent Striking gyms in the world and home to multiple-time world champions in Muaythai and MMA. Her training background includes 7 years of Tae Kwon Do, almost two decades of Krav Maga, and a history as a Muaythai athlete, national champion, and international competitor as representative of the U.S. team at IFMA in 2009.

This passion for martial arts propelled her into a love of coaching. While she maintains a love of combat sports, she realized early in her competitive career that helping regular people go home safely was her true calling. She is passionate about self-defense training not only as a practical skillset, but as an empowering vehicle for building confidence and resilience, a sense of accomplishment, and a source of community. Her goal for every class and seminar is simple: that each participant should learn something new, sharpen the skills they have, and--importantly--laugh.

Katie holds “train the trainer” status as a member of the Krav Maga Alliance Training Team where she specializes in instructor development. She mentors coaches in dynamic public speaking, energy creation and engagement strategies, class management, lesson planning planning/program design, drill creation, and navigating challenging student dynamics. She is also a coach on the digital platform, MAGNVS, and a certified instructor with KMA Force, the military and law enforcement training division of Krav Maga Alliance. Her expertise has been featured in The Book of Personal Defense published by Guns and Ammo Mag, and podcasts like FightTips and Know Fear.

Katie's work as a safety consultant extends beyond physical self-defense into conflict resolution, verbal de-escalation, and communication for influence and persuasion. She has trained a wide range of professionals including EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, behavioral health interventionists, social workers, and other frontline professionals. With duty of care at the center of her approach, she teaches practical strategies for building rapport, fostering trust, co-regulating emotions, and de-escalating high-stress encounters—skills that are as valuable in professional environments and everyday life.

As a professional facilitator, she has delivered courses for organizations such as the Philadelphia Fire Department, Catholic Community Services’ Behavioral Health Division, the California School Employees Association, the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Girl Scouts of the USA, and numerous private companies and corporations.

Whether she's teaching on the mat or facilitating in a conference room, Katie's mission is to help people be safe--both physically and emotionally--and to move through the world with greater confidence and capability.