WITS consists of three integrated self reliance courses which may be taken individually or as a series: Self Defense, Wilderness Survival, and Firearms Training. All of our courses are taught in or near Scottsdale, Arizona, just outside Phoenix. These programs are designed for men and women, and no prior experience is required.

This series of self reliance courses was started in 1985 as the "Way of the Warrior Workshops," designed to promote physical mastery and presented by the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society (DTMMS). The DTMMS was founded in 1986 by Harley SwiftDeer Reagan; he and his wife Dianne Reagan are the chief WITS instructors. [Note to SMSD apprentices: WITS is the new Black Lodge program. You need to take five WITS courses to complete your physical gateway requirements: Self Defense twice, Firearms Training twice, and Wilderness Survival once].

Physical Requirements include a moderate amount of physical conditioning and stamina. Participants should be in reasonable physical condition when the course commences. Persons with handicapped status should notify us in advance of any needed physical accommodations. If you have pre-existing or suspected physical or mental conditions which might result in bodily harm to yourself, then you should not attend this course. See the individual course descriptions for Self Defense, Wilderness Survival, and Firearms Training for course-specific physical requirements.

Travel and Accommodations - Extensive flight and airport transportation information (including online maps) is available. For people on a budget, sleeping spaces are available at some local residences under hostel rules. Complete travel and accommodation information with the best rates in Scottsdale will be mailed to you with your registration package, along with course location specifics. We recommend that you arrive in Phoenix the evening before your course begins.

If you would like to receive email notification when we update our courses and our web site, simply:

to send us your email address, and we will keep you informed.

• There's no obligation,
• the volume of email is very low (a few emails per year),
• your email address is kept strictly private, and
• we'll be happy to un-subscribe you at any time upon your request.

You can receive more information and a WITS registration form by requesting a Free Brochure. As always, if you experience any problems or have any questions, please email wits@dtmms.org, or call us at (480) 443-3851, and we will be happy to help you.

We now have a secure online registration form that allows you to Register securely online right now with your VISA or MasterCard. You can also register with your credit card by phone: call (480) 443-3851, Monday-Friday, 10am - 5:30pm (or leave a message 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Other registration options, including checks, money orders and registrations by fax, are listed at the bottom of our registration form. Your registration indicates that you have read, understood and agreed to our cancellation/refund policy. We encourage you to take advantage of our early registration, multiple-course, and group discounts; see the individual course descriptions (links below) for course costs and discounts. If you experience any problems or have any questions, please email wits@dtmms.org or call (480) 443-3851. All registration information is kept strictly confidential. We look forward to seeing you at our next course!