Pete made an appearance on KENS5's Great Day SA to promote the upcoming women-only seminar. Check out the demo to see how a 110-lb woman can overcome a 230-lb heavyweight.

Here's a deep bow of respect for his achievement--and another deep bow of gratitude for the inspiration he's given us.

Brad Stewart makes an appearance on WOAI's San Antonio Living program, describing the Krav Maga way to Transform Your Body.

Pete Hardy was interviewed on News 4 Troubleshooter report about how to avoid being attacked--and how to survive if it happens. This segment contains a demonstration of what to do when attacked at your car.

On June 16th, 2010 STW Krav Maga was notified instructor Henry Hernandez

officially passed his brown belt level 5 test!

Story by Monica S. Herrera

In a world that glorifies the multi-tasking, technically savvy, super-chic Everywoman, it is not uncommon to see women juggling a variety of tasks all at once. Whether walking through the parking lot, unloading the groceries, or jogging the neighborhood, women are often so distracted (be it the cell phone, the iPod, or thinking about that long to-do list) that they often neglect their own personal safety. These kinds of distractions and a lack of situational awareness can leave a woman vulnerable to a sexual assault.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Joint Base San Antonio’s newest private organization, Voices Against Sexual Assault, and Krav Maga are partnering to sponsor a women’s only self-defense seminar on April 10th from 1-4pm. This specialized session will focus on promoting safe practices during common daily activities. Participants will learn self-defense techniques that can be used if attacked while getting in and out of a car and defensive skills that can be employed if attacked while walking or jogging.

The guest instructor for this event is Ms. Kelly Campbell, 3rd Degree Black Belt, and the highest ranking female in Krav Maga in the United States. Campbell, who lives in Los Angeles, has been teaching Krav Maga for over 10 years. Though she initially tried it on a whim, she instantly fell in love with Krav Maga, which is a fusion of several types of hand-to-hand combat techniques. “Once I started training, I knew right away that it was the thing for me,” says Campbell. “It kept me sane. I was a single mom, and it helped me stay strong through the hard times because of the empowerment and self-confidence I gained from it.” While some people may have difficulty even pronouncing the name of this fighting technique, Campbell insists that it is far easier than it sounds. “Krav Maga is so valuable because it was designed for the average person and is so simple. That’s what makes it so effective.”

With regards to teaching the women’s self-defense seminar, Campbell says her greatest reward comes from passing along the same feelings she had when she first tried it. “The most valuable thing that I’ve walked away with was the realization that I could do it. I could defend myself, and I could punch strong, and I have the tools within me to do it. In teaching the seminars, to see it click with my students when they realize that they can do it…it’s something so simple, and yet it means so much.” For those who cannot attend the upcoming seminar, Campbell shared some valuable tips for women to reduce their risk of being targeted for an attack. “Walk with confidence. The way that other people see you is what can open the door, potentially, for people to assault you.” Also, “be aware of your surroundings, and trust your instincts.”

The upcoming self-defense seminar is open to females ages 12 and up and will be held at the Krav Maga Worldwide Regional Training Center in San Antonio. To register online, visit www.krav-maga-san-antonio.com or call 210-348-6127. The cost is a $20 donation to Voices Against Sexual Assault. For more information about VASA or to learn how you can become a member, please send an e-mail to voicesvasa@gmail.com or visit “VOICES (VASA)” on Facebook.

More photos here

Photography credit: Brandy Dorrough

Order your shirt by sending an e-mail message to voicesvasa@gmail.com (payment will be due at seminar).

Girls Inc is a non-profit organization whose mission is, “Inspiring all girls to strong, smart, and bold.”

The young women received some Krav Maga self-defense training while at the same time learning how to assertive and confident.

The class was a enthusiastic group who weren’t afraid of hard work and had a fantastic time doing it!

With the help of Girls Inc., girls are armed with the skills to effectively tackle the issues
that they will most likely encounter in their lives:

• Peer Pressure
• Violence Against Women
• Adolescent Pregnancy
• Unhealthy Body Image
• Financial Literacy

• Lack of female representation in, science, sports, other fields

Girls Inc of San Antonio

We want to congratulate and bestow some special recognition on Edie for receiving the 2009 Excellence in Advocacy award from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA). She received the award for "demonstrating outstanding advocacy on behalf of survivors or for changes in policies affecting survivors".

In case you were wondering what else Edie does outside of being a long-time Krav Maga instructor . . .

Edith Davis is a Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Program Specialist for Lackland Air Force Base (AFB) and Brooks City Base in San Antonio, Texas. She is responsible for developing and providing education and training to over 45,000 military and civilian personnel. She manages the only unit Sexual Assault Prevention and Outreach Representative (SAPO) program in the Air Force with 270 volunteers. This program was established to help educate and support all Lackland AFB and Brooks City Base military and civilian personnel and their families on issues related to sexual assault. The unit SAPO Representative works to heighten sexual assault awareness within the military community and to enhance victim support. The representatives also assist in the delivery of services and information provided by the SAPO program and represent the SAPO office to their respective commanders. Additionally, they deliver training requirements and get involved in awareness activities. Ms. Davis trained over 75 new unit representatives and held 29 train-the-trainer bystander intervention training sessions. Under her leadership, over 13,000 military and civilian personnel were trained on bystander intervention and sexual assault prevention techniques.

It's a honor to have her as part of the team. Here's a snappy *salute* @ Edie!

Like in a parking lot. Storing groceries in your car's trunk. Or out jogging in the park. Circumstances where no one gives a second thought to strangers being present. Circumstances where it's easy for an attacker to hide, ambush, and subdue when you have your guard down.

We will have a special guest instructor, too. Kelly Campbell, the woman featured on National Geographic Channel's Fight Science program (see below), will be visiting us from Los Angeles to help teach. She's the highest ranking female Krav Maga practitioner in the United States--a 3rd-degree black belt.

This seminar will take place at the Krav Maga Regional Training Center, which is right beside Crossroads Shopping Mall at 100 Crossroads Blvd. It will be April 10 (Saturday), from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The fee for the seminar will be a $20 donation to Voices Against Sexual Assault.

We're expecting a large turnout, so register now to reserve your place.

R.A.D. is the largest organization of its kind and it is the only such organization or program ever endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA). RAD has reached over 275, 000 women empowering them and helping them realize their inner strength.

There are different certifications an instructor can attain:

• R.A.D. Basic Physical Defense
• R.A.D. Advanced Self Defense
• Aerosol Defense Options
• Keychain Defense Options
• R.A.D. for Men
• radKIDS

The STW women attended the RAD Basic. This is the foundation of R.A.D. Systems and focuses on education and awareness. The course included lectures, discussions, and self defense techniques, suitable for women of all ages and abilities. The course was three days with classes ranging from nine to twelve hours in length. The physical defense sessions included lessons in basic stance, strikes, blocks and defense against bear hugs and chokes. Each technique was created for women to be able to take advantage of lower body strength.

During the final session, there is a simulation exercise in which the women get to implement what they learned. During this exercise they defend themselves from an “attacker”. This exercise is an empowering moment…the women realize that they are not helpless and are able to employ the Defensive Mindset that says, “I will survive!”

R.A.D. training helps women to become aware of their surroundings and helps them understand that they do not need to be powerless in an event of an attack. The goal or objective is to provide women viable options to an attack.

The R.A.D. instructors and the students were all true professionals. All that were present showed their solidarity and commitment to fighting violence against women.

The mission of R.A.D. Systems is to establish an accessible, constantly improving and nationally respected alliance of dedicated instructors.

The instructors in turn will provide educational opportunities for women, children, men, and seniors to create a safer future for themselves.

In doing this, we challenge society to evolve into an existence where violence is not an accepted part of daily life.

—R.A.D. Systems Alliance 2004

For more info about R.A.D.: RAD (Rape Aggression Defense Systems)

National Geographic Channel's description of the show:

The National Center for the Victims of Crime reports that 5 out of 6 people in the United States will fall victim to a violent crime at least once in their lives. Everyday, while they go about their business, innocent people are assaulted, robbed, raped or even murdered by hostile criminals in public places. Is there anything the average person can do to defend him or herself? On this episode of Fight Science, a team of top self-defense experts, scientists and biomechanical engineers will test out some of the recommended ways of fighting back against aggressive criminal assaults. We’ll see what it takes to spot potential assailants, and point out their anatomical weaknesses. We’ll look at improvised weapons of defense, such as car keys and a rolled up magazine. We’ll examine techniques to disarm an assailant with various weapons, and how to react in a blind attack.

Arnold, Bridget, Donna, and Pete appeared on KABB-TV's Focus on South Texas to promote the upcoming seminar, too. They were on for a full, uninterrupted ten minutes, which gave them time to share three variations of the life-saving choke defense technique.

Does your business want some (or maybe all) of its staff to receive effective self-defense and security training?

STW/Krav Maga is excited to announce that we now offer on-site training to both private individuals and businesses. Whether your primary goal is fitness or safety, we can custom-tailor a training program to fit your specific needs.

Call Brad Stewart at (210) 348-6127 to explore your personalized training options.

The seminar will be from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 6. The participation fee will be $20 (proceeds will be donated to The Rape Crisis Center).

Please download the attached flyer for more info.

Call us at (210) 348-6127 to reserve your spot, or click here to register online.

flyer-VDAY_seminar-2010.pdf

stw-f2f-instructor-training-event.pdf

We are so proud that you really came through for this worthy cause. Thank you for the great turnout and for all of your generous support.

We will be closed all day on Christmas and on New Year's Day.

You've given thanks. You consumed cranberry sauce. Now you want a good workout to get everything back in balance.

You're in luck. Pete's 6th Annual Birthday workout is only two days after Thanksgiving!

This year the annual STW tradition begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 28. Come prepared for the real deal. Two hours of pushing it to the limit in three rooms. It's a day to show yourself that you're not just getting older--you're getting BETTER!

Congratulations, Jacqueline, for being published in the martial arts industry's most influential publication. We're grateful for the exposure, and we're glad you feel the gain is worth the "pain" of the strenuous training. 

Article: Learning Krav by Jacqueline Mendez

Proceeds from the seminar will be donated to the 100 Club.

Click here for more details.