“We sought to build a program that would best prepare trainees for any physical contingency–prepare them not only for the unknown but for the unknowable.” – CrossFit Level 1 Guide
Join us for our Empower: Self Defense Starter Course on September 8 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. All CrossFit Fringe members are $60 per person. There are only 14 seats available, so sign up now!
In CrossFit, our approach to methodology is one of general physical preparedness. Just as in the gym, we should constantly seek to be prepared for the unknown and unknowable in life. We train for our best outcomes, but should also plan for the difficult or challenging.
While we hope no one ever has to encounter a dangerous or threatening situation to ourselves or our family, being aware of what’s around us and having a plan or strategies for defense if we are threatened can greatly improve our safety and chances of survival. We want to help with the second part and teach you how to stay safe and more importantly defend yourself if necessary.
We are excited to announce the Empower: Self Defense Starter Course! This course acts as both an excellent standalone course for beginners and as a prerequisite to additional forthcoming special topic/focus classes that will follow.
While this is information we hope you never have to use, we know that being prepared can do nothing but improve the potential outcome in a negative scenario. This course is designed to give a basic understanding of body awareness in a violent encounter and build your confidence in dealing with threatening situations. In this initial three-hour course, you’ll learn elements of self-defense stemming from the CrossFit Striking methodology, as well as taking elements from taekwondo and Krav Maga as taught by Coach Andrew Arnold, military and police force veteran.
This workshop isn’t just comprised of demonstrations, you’ll learn and practice striking and self-defense techniques, so be prepared for a workout! Many of the movements build on those we use every day in the gym and will help develop muscle memory for you to use at the time you might need it the most. Additionally, we will discuss the psychology behind an attack/violent encounter and work on developing your situational awareness and ability to identify what aggression looks like. We will talk about violent encounters and will encourage participation, though it is of course, voluntary.
We will discuss:
- Common types of attacks and the importance of always being aware of your surroundings.
- Fear and what it does to our bodies. Fight, flight or freeze and what these mean to you.
- When / how to de-escalate violence. Should you fight/ defend yourself or can you talk your way out of it?
- Reasons to fight.
- What does the attacker want: life, property, body
While this initial course will not make you the ultimate fighting champion, it will give you the confidence and tools you need to be proactive and empowered in difficult and dangerous situations. It also offers a gateway to further advanced classes. Please note, this is not a sparing course. While there will be physical contact with another person, all physical striking will be done on medicine balls and through “shadow” fighting.
Areas of movement/defense we will cover:
- Striking / using elbows
- Blocking strikes
- Different types of stances for defense
- Discussions of situations/scenarios and movement patterns to utilize
After completing the Starter Course, additional advanced class opportunities will be announced to expand your skill set. Future classes will include: ground defense, choke defenses, bear hug defenses, headlock defense, and more.
Join us for our Empower: Self Defense Starter Course on September 8 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. All CrossFit Fringe members are $60 per person. There are only 14 seats available, so sign up now!
Instructor Bio: Coach Andrew
Coach Andrew was in the military for nine years with two combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He worked for the Columbia Police department for more than four years serving in roles from patrolman, downtown unit, and later a detective. During that time, Andrew served on the S.W.A.T team. While working with the downtown unit, he responded to multiple disturbance calls a night and has experience de-escalating violent encounters.
Andrew has a black belt in Taekwondo and a brown sash in Krav Maga. He assisted Master Longoria at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in teaching Krav Maga self-defense to students. Andrew studied martial arts for about eight years in addition to his years of advanced services in the military and police units.