American self-defense and fitness are ideal for anyone who want a fun, practical approach to getting in shape and acquiring new techniques in self-defense. If you want to learn how to protect yourself and get the self-confidence to manage yourself in risky circumstances, our lessons are for you.
Avital Zeisler was beginning to see that things might get better for her. As a young woman of 19, she had just begun her academic career and was eager to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer or working in the arts. A few months after her graduation, she recalls how enthusiastic she was to begin the next chapter of her life.
She was then attacked in the bedroom. As a child, Zeisler was “just absolutely destroyed inside, intellectually and emotionally,” he recalls. She attempted counseling, creative writing, going out with friends, and a variety of exercise programs and contests to help her deal with the trauma she had experienced. As Zeisler recalls, “I did everything to cure myself – and nothing worked.”
Except for self-defense, of course. As a result of her father’s insistence, Zeisler decided to take up Krav Maga, an Israeli military self-defense system. A licensed instructor and teacher in Israel and New York, she went all the way through the programs. To “do something constructive [and] oppose the violence,” Zeisler adds, self-defense was a means for him to do so.
Even so, it wasn’t quite enough. She claims she had to modify some of the tactics because they didn’t match her “personal purpose of finding out whether a woman could protect herself against a bigger and stronger opponent.” One hair-grabbing move, for example, required the defender to be on the ground, but Zeisler discovered a method to protect herself while remaining upright. When it comes to self-defense, “simplicity is survival,” she explains. “I truly examined if I could have employed them in a real-life circumstance.”
In 2013, Zeisler launched her own self-defense curriculum, The Soteria Method. Zeisler describes the practice as a “360-degree approach to self-care via self-defense, fitness, and empowerment” that strives to train women with the mental and physical tools to keep them safe without sacrificing their femininity.
There are classes that teach women how to defend themselves in heels or with a handbag as part of the strategy. The majority of exercises target the upper body, core, and glutes while also working the heart and lungs. According to Zeisler, “I developed the ability to augment and achieve the figure I want as a woman, while still retaining the essential motions that would enable me to live on a street.”
Why put forth the effort to be in shape if you don’t have to?
According to John Graden, C.E.O. of the Martial Arts Teacher’s Association and author of “Who Killed Walt Bone,” a book about a 1970s karate school, self-defense programs that serve as workouts are nothing new. According to him, the “interest in martial arts is at an all-time high” due in large part to the growing popularity of mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In light of limited recess and physical education, “parents regard it as the perfect addition to their children’s educational needs; adults see it as exercise with the added advantage of getting in shape.”
Aside from teaching students how to defend themselves while still becoming healthy, combining martial arts and exercise stimulates their brains in a way that most other types of fitness programs do not. Instead of a warm-up or stretching session, many martial arts sessions begin with an acted-out situation, such as three guys approaching you at an A.T.M. After that, students get a chance to discuss what happened with their teacher and learn how to be safe in the future. For Graden, “you’re instantly alive in that class” in contrast to other exercises that need concentration. Zeisler, too, has seen a change in her kids’ mentality. According to her, instead of concentrating on the number of repetitions they have left, they’re more concerned with their form and how long they can last.
A 24-year-old female forensic technologist in Largo, Florida, Samantha Thomas, found self-defense to be a new challenge to her gym workout. With the 10-week kickboxing, strength-training, and nutrition program she discovered four years ago, she was hooked. Because it’s unique, she calls it “nothing else out there.” Affectionately referred to as “a police school for civilians,” this 10-week training combines martial arts and law enforcement with close-quarters fighting methods and criminal psychology to provide students with the skills they need to defend themselves in the event of an attack. Last month, Thomas received her orange belt and continued to train at least four times each week. The program’s capacity to be used in the actual world is one of its strongest suits for her.
“I see what happens to individuals who don’t have any training,” she says of her experience at the police station. Even though she hasn’t yet had to put her abilities to use in the real world, she’s prepared in case it does. In and of itself, “it is a reassuring sense,” Thomas tells me.”
Choosing the Most Appropriate Course of Action
To educate children on how to “neutralize an opponent with as little energy as possible,” says Tiffany Cunin, the Y.M.C.A.’s regional director for group fitness in the District of Columbia. Students learn how to prevent or defend themselves in the event of an assault rather than learning how to attack someone, she explains. There are a lot of programs out there that might be called exercise as well. Because, as Cunin points out, “one part of fitness is being able to protect yourself.”
A few things to keep in mind when signing up for a program:
Krav Maga: According to Krav Maga Worldwide, Krav Maga was developed for the Israeli military to teach “highly effective self-defense in the shortest feasible time. For example, students learn how to disable a weapon or counter a chokehold, said Cunin. Zeisler found the discipline to be an excellent introduction to the self-defense realm. In her words, it’s a “practical approach” to personal safety. It’s also a good exercise. Krav Maga, according to Cunin, is “a great balance of self-defense and fitness.” ​
Women who attend one of Zeisler’s seminars generally expect to learn positions and receive a workout immediately soon, according to the Soteria Method. But first, Zeisler explains to them the need for training in order to increase their natural reflexes to danger. Zeisler explains that he teaches his students how to use their bodies as weapons that are efficient and effective under stress. “Because that’s the difference,” she explains, she trains students to simplify survival methods and adapt them to real-world situations.
“How to survive and neutralize the situation as rapidly as feasible” is the goal of self-defense. Don’t let the fact that you can’t attend one of Zeisler’s seminars (she offers them for schools, corporations, small groups, and events) get you down: You can take courses online or read her book, “The Woman’s Ultimate Guide to Fitness, Self-Defense, and Empowerment,” which is out now. For this reason, she’s launching a teacher training program for women around the nation.
Combat Objective Battle Ready Applications, or C.O.B.R.A., is a self-defense curriculum that prides itself on being practical, as Thomas learned. Training your mind and body for situations where you’d normally fight or run is what you’ll do instead of putting on a belt or bow. However, you will not be taught how to make arrests or operate motor vehicles, as Graden claims. “It’s just self-defense, with a little bit of fitness thrown in,” says the author. C.O.B.R.A. Instead of focusing on self-defense, a person who is fit does the exact opposite: they focus on fitness as their primary goal.
If you’re searching for an excellent cardiovascular exercise, Cunin recommends kickboxing. When it comes to martial arts classes, “kickboxing is the sort of class that gives a really solid athletic base and a lot of conditioning,” she explains. “cardio kickboxing” sessions tend to put self-defense on the back burner, especially if the teachers don’t have any fighting experience to teach them, Cunin adds.
Graden recommends Empower Boxing as a high-quality kickboxing gym that focuses only on the activity – rather than gyms that only provide one or two kickboxing courses a week. “The better the experience for kids is, the more the school or institution focuses on fitness kickboxing,” he explains.
The American Taekwondo Association describes Taekwondo as a “nonaggressive and ethical technique of self-defense,” martial art that dates back over a thousand years. If you’re looking for a “very fast” and “agility-focused” martial art, Cunin recommends tae kwon do. Breathing affects the body’s ability to exert strength and the brain’s ability to operate in a fight-or-flight scenario,” says the author. As she points out, Taekwondo often draws students who have a strong desire to improve through the martial art’s numerous levels of training. In Cunin’s opinion, it’s a terrific method to meet others with similar interests. They’re looking to refine a talent and become a master of a particularly specialized one.
If you’ve seen any U.F.C. fights, you may recognize some of the moves used in jiujitsu. Techniques like joint locks and choke grips, which offer practitioners control over their opponents even if they are larger and stronger, are common in martial arts. According to Cunin, “the ultimate goal is to get the other person to submit,” which makes jiujitsu an excellent cardiovascular exercise.
For those who like to dance rather than fight, Capoeira may be the sport for you. As Cunin puts it, the Brazilian style is “fascinating to witness” since it incorporates elements of both martial arts and gymnastics. This might be referred to as “performance or play” by certain individuals.
Beware, though: Capoeira is no walk in the park. Cunin believes it needs a combination of agility, speed, and strength in order to perform maneuvers like neatly evading a kick. Students may not study it purely for self-defense, but the techniques they learn might come in handy if they ever find themselves in a dangerous scenario. As Cunin points out, “it helps people become more agile, more powerful, faster and more mobile.”.
Conclusion
Thanks to its brilliant instruction and well-structured classes, American self-defense & fitness training is regarded as one of the best in America. Most of the training facilities are located in different areas across America. If you are looking for an exceptional self-defense class, then American self-defense & fitness will be absolutely ideal for you.
