Tag: Fitness

Is Your Child Bully Proof?

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Martial Arts Benefits Adults

Teach your child the skills they need to effectively handle a bully situation, or what they can do if they witness bullying activity. At this workshop, we will be teaching children real life situations that occur, and broaden their awareness of what bullying actually is. We will be helping your child understand the 5 basic rules of engagement with a Bully, so they can become Bully Proof kids!

1) Try to AVOID the situation or conflict all together.

2) If being verbally assulted, Try to TALK it through and go and TELL an authority figure, like a teacher or parent

3) If being physically assaulted, DEFEND yourself

4) DO NOT strike a Bully back

5) Establish CONTROL, and NEGOTIATE

Don’t Wait!
Call Today to sign up!
978-745-8511

Or Visit our Website
www.DWMMA.com

Knowing self-defense empowers you with powerful techniques, strategies and confidence for life-long success!
CALL NOW TO SET UP YOUR  FREE INTRO LESSON

Dragon Within Martial Arts, Salem MA, provides the most realistic and practical self-defense programs for Massachusetts and North Shore Area including:
Peabody MA, Salem MA, Beverly MA, Lynn MA, Marblehead MA, Danvers MA

Krav Maga: Civilian Self-Defense with Military Roots

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In the tale of Imi Lichtenfeld and his staunch defense of Bratislava turf in the 1930s, we see an athlete adapting to the times by perfecting street fighting. Later, when Lichtenfeld was advising the Israeli Defense Forces on his “contact combat” techniques, the focus was on soldiers who carried weapons and traveled in battalions. Upon retiring from the army in the 1960s, Lichtenfeld refined his technique and brought it back to its roots from the days in Bratislava. Today’s Krav Maga represents a hybrid of military and street fighting tactics.

The Struggle for Eastern Europe

As Slovakia and other parts of Easter Europe fell to Nazi and fascist forces, the Jewish ghettos became warzones. Lichtenfeld’s hand-to-hand combat technique was pure survival: when he saw a knife exposed, he learned to dodge and when he saw a pack of men, he learned to evade and advance to keep them off-balance; and when he had the opportunity, he struck hard and fast so assailants never got a second chance. This approach was the essence of Krav Maga: street fighting to survive one of the ugliest periods in history.

Birth of an Israeli Nation

The country of Israel was the UN’s answer to the need for a home for exiled and displaced European Jews. Lichtenfeld had been in the country since the 1940s and became a fixture in paramilitary organizations. As the IDF emerged, he remained one of the key forces in training soldiers in self-defense and rapid response to aggression. His “contact combat” technique was military-ready. Soldiers could disarm opponents carrying weapons of all times and attack even when helmets and other protection were in place.

Return to Civilian Self-Defense

When Lichtenfeld retired from the IDF, he used his experience from his Bratislava days as well as his time in the military to perfect a technique that civilians could use for everyday safety. The Israel of his time was as insecure as the modern nation, forcing every civilian find a way to protect him or herself. Instead of advising how to take a machine gun from an opposing solider, Lichtenfeld showed students how to take a knife away and how to block punches and expect advances.

The system of Krav Maga in practice around the world is a product of this final refinement by Lichtenfeld after his military days. Physical fitness and mental toughness remain the cornerstones of the technique. From his early days as a boxer and wrestler, Lichtenfeld knew the importance of stamina, endurance and stubbornness in the face of long odds. Every Krav Maga fighter learns how to make his or her way out of a tough situation. Every Krav Maga fighter knows how to stop an opponent from coming back a second time.

In some ways, the approach of the IDF and regular civilians is the same. Though civilians are typically alone and do not face assailants carrying heavy weapons, the need to stand up to danger and overcome it is the same. Krav Maga fighters know how to come out on top and survive in the toughest possible spots.

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Don’t Wait!
Call Today to sign up!
978-745-8511

Or Visit our Website
www.DWMMA.com

Knowing self-defense empowersyou with powerful techniques, strategies and confidence for life-long success!
CALL NOW TO SET UP YOUR  FREE INTRO LESSON

Dragon Within Martial Arts, Salem MA, provides the most realistic and practical self-defense programs for Massachusetts and North Shore Area including:
Peabody MA, Salem MA, Beverly MA, Lynn MA, Marblehead MA, Danvers MA

The 5 Cornerstones of Krav Maga

On By Forged Bjj Krav MagaIn DWMMA, DWMMA - Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Fitness, Krav Maga, MMA, Self DefenseLeave a comment

ImageLearning the Krav Maga technique requires total physical commitment as well as mental toughness that can carry you through challenges of all kinds. In the past 75 years, much has changed since Imi Lichtenfeld first fought for his neighborhood in Slovakia. However, several cornerstones of the technique have held firm. Every Krav Maga fighter of the past and present has learned to approach each of these elements with complete focus.

  1. Self-defense. The key is not meeting strength with strength in Krav Maga. Instead, you are taught to look for weaknesses in a typically larger opponent. Trading blows is inadvisable and dangerous under the circumstances. Try to hit in the throat, the groin or the eyes to put an aggressor on the defensive. You need to be precise when going after these targets or you will be faced with a secondary attack.
  1. Offense. Defense stops the attack of an assailant. You block a punch; stop a kick; deflect a tackle; or avoid a chase. Once you are in the clear, you need to make sure your attacker can’t lodge another assault. React swiftly and pummel your opponent into submission. Unless you move quickly and inflict damage, you are putting yourself in further danger. In Krav Maga, the best defense is a good offense.
  1. Disarming assailants. Taking weapons from opponents is essential to preservation. You might be threatened with knives, guns, bats, chains, sticks, swords or any number of terrifying objects in the course of your defense. Devise a technique with teachers to respond to the deployment of any weapon imaginable. While military operations require this skill, it is useful for civilian defense as well.
  1. Fighting with supreme confidence. Stepping into a sea of enemies and emerging in sound health is a feat that requires the ultimate concentration and supreme confidence. Krav Maga black belts are known for fearlessness and power in the face of high danger. Prepare mentally for the greatest challenges a human being can face and you will be ready to confront the most fearsome challenges that come your way.
  1. Achieving the highest level of stamina. In a fight to the death or during flight from menacing forces, the utmost in stamina is required of Krav Maga masters. As you progress through the different levels of skill, push yourself to train at levels of strength and endurance you never thought possible. Becoming a master at this self-defense technique requires a total physical commitment. There is no telling what type of endurance may be required of a fighter with his back against the wall.

The locations and the type of fighting have changed since Lichtenfeld honed his warrior technique in Bratislava. What hasn’t changed is the fearlessness with which a Krav Maga fighter must approach combat on a daily basis. Keeping your cool and moving from defense to decisive offense is the only way to make a foe submit. Learn from your masters how to become the state-of-the-art fighter you can be with Krav Maga.

Benefits of Training in Krav Maga Salem MA

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One criticism that is quite common of many of the traditional martial arts is that they often cannot be applied in real life. Sure, there are a lot of fancy moves, but they often won’t hold up when you’re trying to defend yourself out on the street. You see, most of the martial arts were actually developed to be sports, which is why they may not be really applicable in real life. However, Krav Maga is much different. It was developed for people who were in distress and there are no rules, just dirty fighting for survival. So, if you are considering training in Krav Maga, it is definitely a worthy pursuit; in fact, here are just a few of the benefits you’ll enjoy if you train in Krav Maga.

Benefit #1 – One of the main benefits of training in Krav Maga is that you’ll learn how to defend yourself in almost every situation. You’ll learn how to protect yourself on the street with your new skills. Whether you want to believe it or not, the world we live in is really not that safe and learning how to defend yourself is important. Training in Krav Maga will help you quickly learn simple and effective techniques that will help you stay safe.

Benefit #2 –  Another great benefit of learning Krav Maga is that you will no doubt get into great shape quite quickly. Krav Maga is very demanding physically and the training will help you lose fat, gain muscle, and will have you looking and feeling great in no time. Your strength, stamina, endurance, and flexibility will also increase as you train as well.

Benefit #3 – Many people don’t deal with stress because they are fearful and anxious. When you learn Krav Maga, you’ll learn how to deal with that stress, how to function with it, and how you can recover. You’ll also learn how to get tough internally and externally. Also, since it is such a high energy workout, it will work as a stress reliever too.

Benefit #4 –  Since Krav Maga will be teaching you how to hone your own natural reactions, it will be easy to learn and will provide you with a boost in your self confidence as well. Those training you will keep you motivated and will help you achieve the goals you have been striving towards. At the end of the training, you’ll leave a much more confident individual than when you came.

Benefit #5 –  If you want to be on the cutting edge of self defense, then Krav Maga is a great choice. Today it is one of the martial arts that is the fastest growing throughout the world. It is used by the Secret Service, the FBI, the CIA, and even NYPD. There are a variety of celebrities that are also learning this style of self defense, including Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Swayze, and Lucy Liu. You won’t have to worry about rituals or outfits, but you’ll get the best self defense training out there today.

Benefit #6 –  Yet another important benefit of training in Krav Maga is that you’ll learn situational awareness and how you can be aware of what is going on in every situation. This is extremely important, since self defense actually starts out with being aware of what is going on around you.

Benefit #7 – Not only are you going to learn about properly defending and protecting yourself and others, but the training is actually exciting and enjoyable as well. As you learn Krav Maga you’ll have a great time, learning new things, meeting new people, and building your confidence in yourself. You won’t have to worry about boring classes, or senseless rituals. You can have a great time, all the while learning one of the best methods of hand to hand combat out there.

Benefit #8 – Self Control – As you train in Krav Maga, you’ll also learn a lot about self control. You will learn to develop your senses and you’ll also learn how to foresee any movements that your attacker may make. As you train more and more in this martial art, more and more of the moves will become instinctive to you, which is important. Instead of having to think about the moves before you perform them, eventually it will become a reflexive movement that is controlled by the brain. Being able to have this type of self control is important, since you’ll have to rely on instincts if you are ever attacked.

As you can see, there are many great benefits to training in Krav Maga. If these benefits look appealing to you, then consider signing up for a class in your area today. No doubt you will never regret making this choice and you’ll be adequately prepared to meet adversity in your life.

DON’T WAIT
CALL TODAY!

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978-745-8511
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.DWMMA.com

Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA , provides the most realistic and practical fitness & self-defense programs for Massachusetts and North Shore Area including:
Peabody MA, Salem MA, Beverly MA, Lynn MA, Marblehead MA, Danvers MA

 


Facts from this article were taken from: http://www.aboutkravmaga.com/the-benefits-of-training-krav-maga/

BJJ Belt Blues/@DWMMA

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an extremely technical martial art.   The belt requirements for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tend to be a lot stricter than other forms of martial arts and takes more time to progress to the next belt.  This can be frustrating to students because in such a fast-paced environment; people don’t have the patience to take the time needed to go from a white belt to a blue; blue belt to a purple and so on…and so on…  Some students either quit prematurely, or they will stay but never feel as if they will ever achieve a black belt.

This is a reminder to not be discouraged if it is taking a lot longer than you want to get your next belt.  You must continue to move forward in your studies. You should always aim to be the best White, Blue, Purple, Brown and Black belt that you can be.    With time and patience; you will grow and evolve.  To be a blue belt is very different than having a blue belt; however, its a sad thing when you see a blue belt get the “belt blues” and start slacking off or quit all together because it takes a great deal of time and commitment to reach purple belt status.  It is a great loss when this happens.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu isn’t based on belts.  It’s based on the art; belts are your reward for your dedication and are there to mark your progress in BJJ but they do not define you as a martial artist.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.DWMMA.COM

Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA, provides the most realistic and practical self-defense programs for Massachusetts including:

Peabody MA, Salem MA, Beverly MA, Lynn MA, Marblehead MA, Danvers MA

 

Martial Arts and Fitness/ at DWMMA

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Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy life-style.  People who engage in physical activities, on top of a healthy diet, live longer and generally feel better than those who don’t.  Exercising at least 30 minutes a day can reduce your chances of developing diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.  The key is finding the right activity for you.

For those of you who have never taken a martial art, or have an opposed attitude to learning one; the idea of learning something like Thai Kickboxing, will surprise you on how beneficial it can be for your over all health.

In Thai Kickboxing, you get an overall body workout and conditioning.  Unlike some forms of fitness training that neglect certain areas of the body or leave out cardio training, Thai Kickboxing covers it all.

Our Thai program, at Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA, is safe and fun, as well as physically and mentally challenging. It is a unique and extremely effective blend of Muay Thai Kickboxing, Western Boxing and American Kickboxing. Students will learn fundamental punches, kicks, knees and elbows. You will be trained like a professional kick boxer with techniques and conditioning drills to get you into the best shape of your life. Not to mention, the added bonus of learning self-defense.

Visit our Website!

www.DWMMA.com

Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA, provides the most realistic and practical self-defense programs for the North Shore Area including, Peabody, Salem, Beverly, Lynn, Marblehead, Danvers

Mixed Martial Arts and It’s Benefits for Women/ at DWMMA

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Knowledge of self-defense is important for everybody.  Men, women and children can all benefit from learning how to defend themselves; however, this article is based upon the importance of women learning self-defense.

In a world where women are unrightfully labeled as helpless and weak; we often become the target for acts of violence.  Threatening situations such as: rapes, assaults, muggings etc. result with little to no warning.  We need to find the most REALISTIC self-defense program as possible in order to fully be prepared for these situations.

One of the best ways to learn how to defend yourself is to take martial arts, specifically Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).  MMA isn’t just for people who aspire to become a competitive MMA fighter like you see on UFC. It can be practiced for sport, fun and knowledge of a great, realistic, self-defense system.  A lot of gyms gear their MMA program for fighters.  At Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA, their unique approach is for anybody looking to learn in a safe, and fun environment.

I know you are probably wondering if Mixed Martial Arts has a place in women’s self-defense training?  The answer, in my opinion, is YES.  Many women have turned to Mixed Martial Arts for self-defense training, while learning the arts of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, Judo, Karate, and Wrestling to make it a well-rounded, but more importantly, realistic self-defense martial art.

Taking Mixed Martial Arts can be beneficial in many aspects of your life.  It is a great way to stay fit, it will boost your confidence, it will give you the knowledge of how to defend yourself in virtually any situation-all the while having fun and learning something new.

 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.DWMMA.com

Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Salem MA, provides the most realistic and practical self-defense programs for the North Shore Area including, Peabody, Salem, Beverly, Lynn, Marblehead, Danvers

Tired of the same old boring workout routine (via Drogo’s MMA Blog)

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Its time to change your workout routine… When you started a regular exercise program, whether to lose weight or improve your overall health, your enthusiasm and motivation were high. Even though exercise wasn’t the most exciting activity you had experienced, you began feeling better and seeing results from your hard work. You managed to get yourself out of bed early, to squeeze in a little gym time each day, and stick to your plan without much … Read More

via Drogo’s MMA Blog

Jean DePlacido column: Cregier trains all from MMA fighters to youngsters

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Learning Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was a good way to survive for Dennis Cregier, who grew up in a tough neighborhood in Mount Kisko, N.Y.

Now 27 years later, the 41-year-old owns his own mixed martial arts school called Dragon Within and is about to celebrate the first anniversary at its current location of 11 Franklin Street, just off Route 114 in Salem.

“When I was growing up it was a tough place, but my hometown has changed a lot since then,” said Cregier, who holds a black belt in kickboxing/jujitsu blend and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. “My wife is from Marblehead, which is how I ended up here.”

Cregier has been in business for six years, first in Salem and then Peabody before moving back to the Witch City. He has spent the last 12 months at his current location.

“We have classes for ordinary people looking for a different way to get in shape, and I also train people wanting to fight,” he said. “We have a lot of kids as well as women and men of all ages. We can design a program to fit any goal.

“This is something you can do your whole life with good coaching and safe training. Quite a few women do it not only for fitness but also self defense, so our kickboxing classes are very popular.”

The ordinary person, he said, is mainly looking for a different way to exercise. “We give people a schedule to follow; some are here every day and others twice a week. Many add yoga or something else into their routine,” said Cregier. “We can accommodate whatever a person’s needs are.”

Cregier, who competed in both kickboxing and boxing in his home state, also trains the most serious MMA athletes who are preparing for a fight. Currently there are five in this special group of serious fighters training at Dragon Within, including one young woman.

“That’s not the majority of my population. Out of 50 people, I’ll have one or possibly two fighters,” said Cregier. “They may do some workout sessions with our regular groups, but they mostly train separately from everybody else. We’re not going to let them go up against the average person taking a class.

“(Lynn’s) Shannon Harney is getting ready for her fourth fight Oct. 30 at the Combat Zone in Salem, N.H. She only goes around 120 pounds, but she’s a little dynamo.”

Cregier said his most famous fighter is Salem’s own Greg Jackson. “He’s done quite well,” he said. “He hasn’t fought in about a year and is now helping me run our kids’ program. Another up-and-coming guy is Peter Wellman, who is from Arlington.”

Cregier said he uses the same training as the fighters do in his classes for the general population, but it is not as strenuous. In order to succeed in MMA fighting, Cregier stressed that fighters need to be adept at all facets of the sport.

“It’s part kickboxing, wrestling and clinching as well as grappling, which is like Brazilian ground fighting,” said Cregier. “You start out standing then take your opponent down, which is where the ground fighting takes over. The sport is growing in leaps and bounds. In five to 10 years they are predicting it will be one of the biggest around.

“I think the reason why (the sport) has taken so long to get big is because some people look at MMA as barbaric, but in fact it is very safe. You have to put in rigorous training sessions for seven weeks to get ready for a fight. Amateurs go three 3-minute rounds while pros have five 3-minute rounds. You have to be in great shape to do it because you go all out every second.”

DWMMA offers all kinds of martial arts with classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Thai kickboxing, kids karate, adult karate, cardio and circuit training, strength and conditioning for people of all ages and every fitness level.

• • •

Jean DePlacido is a part-time writer and columnist for The Salem News. Contact her at jmdeplacido@aol.com.