About Us

Sleeping Tiger was formed by Debbie Donahoe and Dave Machamer who share a passion for Martial Arts and Self-Defense. We have been teaching and studying martial arts for decades and saw a need to make vulnerable people safer.  This became a priority for us when we each had daughters going off to college. We realized that a wearable self-defense weapon could provide round-the-clock, always-ready protection without requiring strength or special skills. We used our engineering and design backgrounds to develop Tigress.

About Our Name

As a boy of about twelve, back in the early 70’s, my three brothers and I were visiting relatives in Bloomington,  a not-so-small town sitting in the middle of endless Illinois corn fields. They had a charming little municipal zoo where the four of us, having the place to ourselves, strolled among the animal exhibits, killing a lazy August afternoon. Making our way along, we were met by an ominous low rumble and soon stood in front of Lonesome Bill, their one Sumatran tiger. He was peacefully asleep and he was snoring. We looked at one another in stunned silence. With every slow exhalation from his big lungs, Bill emitted a long, low, deep bass growl that rumbled in our chests. The sound was incredible. The Power! The Deadliness! All from a sleeping Tiger!!! Our youngest brother started to cry. We assured him that it was only a sound and the tiger couldn’t hurt us from inside his cage. But we weren’t so sure ourselves. The stunning realization of the power that horrifying, gorgeous apex creature possessed is a memory I’ll never forget. Imagine wandering through the jungle and stumbling onto that! How strong are those bars anyway?

When my good friend, Debbie, and I decided to start a company dedicated to helping good, peaceful people protect themselves so they can get home to their families, I already had a name in mind.

-Dave