Author, pub­lic speak­er, teacher, ther­a­pist, self-defense instruc­tor, mas­sage pro­fes­sion­al, vet­er­an of the Israeli Defense Forces, and World Mar­tial Arts Hall of Fame inductee Monique Illona was born in a small town in Eng­land to Holo­caust sur­vivors, a French moth­er and a Czecho­slo­va­kian father. Illona has pre­sent­ed at many venues, includ­ing Har­vard Uni­ver­si­ty, MIT, and Blue Cross.