Local martial arts classes teach self-defense skills
From the fight to the mindset, many local martial arts courses strive to teach self-defense skills that may be lifesaving in the case of an attack.
For example, Hezi Sheli, seventh-degree black belt and owner of the Israeli Martial Arts Academy [IMAA] in Westlake Village, teaches practical self-defense with Krav Maga. This system combines techniques from various martial arts for combat including boxing, judo, Jiu Jitsu and karate. Sheli works to prepare students of all ages to protect themselves from street threats. In situations where de-escelation is not efficient, students are equipped with tactics including striking, grappling and knife defense. A student once told him, “[IMAA] is like having another police station in the neighborhood, because [it] makes people safe,” Sheli said.
Martial arts is more than the punch and kick. Sheli emphasizes the importance of mentality as well as physicality in martial arts. “If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody will believe in you,” Sheli said.
Moreover, Mitch Ito, IMAA practitioner, said that his martial arts experience gives him self-assurance while traveling. “[Martial arts gives me] confidence in my abilities to anticipate and move appropriately [which] allows me to manage situations that come at me and de-escalate them, which in turn makes my life less stressful,” Ito said.
Similarly, Kinsie and Jacob Flame teach discipline through youth karate classes at Tang Soo Do University. The Flames visit local elementary schools and offer a year-long scholarship to one student selected by the principal. “[Our martial arts classes] give [students] that place of safety in a world of chaos. […] Here is that comfort of learning how to defend themselves [and] becoming confident in themselves,” Kinsie Flame said.
Tang Soo Do University simulates realistic scenarios that allow students to apply the skills they learned under pressure. “[There are] different ways of defending yourself in different situations so that you have multiple different options that work best for your body and your control,” Kinsie Flame said.
Courses like IMAA and Tang Soo Do University offer community members the opportunity to learn self-defense skills. “The more people we have in our community learning a good system of martial arts, the better for our society. We’ll have a stronger and safer society,” Sheli said.
