NWMAF Update October 2019 News for Our Members, Friends, and Supporters “Empowering women and girls to achieve personal and collective strength, safety, and well being through , healing arts, and self-defense education”

Trainers at 2019 Camp BE BRAVE in Naperville, Illinois. Camp News The National Women’s Martial Arts Federation’s 2020 Conference in Buffalo, New York, is already beginning to take form. The Board of Directors is kicking around possible themes for the conference (no pun intended). Our organization is at a pivotal point, poised to rise from a financial and membership lull. So we’ve brainstormed numerous ideas that would appropri- ately set the stage for the NWMAF’s upward trajectory. The year itself invites a great theme, and we’re drawn to “20/20”—the optimal sight capability.

Trainer Application Deadline Extended Did the earlier-than-normal 2020 NWMAF Conference trainer application deadline catch you by surprise? Did you try to apply, and struggle with technical issues? We thought so. That’s why the NWMAF Board of Directors has decided to reopen the applica- tion window until 11:59 pm central time on October 31, 2019. Electronic application glitches have been resolved. We’re espe- cially eager to hire instructors for healing arts, self-defense, and Young Martial Artists’ classes, but all are welcome to apply. The selection committee’s goal is to finalize trainer selections by mid- November, with announcements going out to our membership by the first of the year. To apply, go to https://www.nwmaf.org/ApplyToTeach.

Attendees in Mama G’s class on Super Saturday learned a fun dance while exploring the connections between dance and martial arts. Notes From the NWMAF Chair The Only Constant is Change by Cathy Chapaty, NWMAF Board Chair A spiritual mentor once told me that “the only constant is change.” I hated when she’d cite that phrase; I knew it was true. Some people crave Board Chair Cathy Chapaty promised to change. My mom, for shave her head if enough people donated instance, felt compelled to the NWMAF scholarship fund. every six months to re­arrange the living room. She was uncomfortable with big life change but needed a little controlled newness now and then. Others loathe change. My father worked at the same brake shop for years. In the mid-70s, he left that job for a new opportunity— with better pay, more stable hours, and longer vacation time. But it was so new and scary to him that he couldn’t stand it. A few months later, he returned to the safety of the brake shop. Still others begrudgingly accept change, knowing that it’s oftentimes for the best. That’s me. I kick and scream and rant and rave, and then once I’ve gotten out all my fear (because, let’s be honest, it’s all about fear), I’m finally able to take baby steps toward something new. Since the 1970s, it’s been the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation’s mission to empower women and girls to achieve personal and collective strength, safety, and well-being through martial arts, healing arts, and self-defense education. We’ve found strength in one another’s challenges and promoted an awareness and appreciation of our differences. More than 40 years later, the NWMAF is still all that—and so much more. And as in years past, we’re on the cusp of change. continued on next page

Cathy receives her head-shaving makeover from Miriam Frank, top donor in Cathy’s “Will Shave Head for Scholarship Donations” campaign. Notes From the Chair continued from previous page

Practicing kicks toward vulnerable low targets during the Empowerment Self-Defense model class. While I find this exciting, I understand that some members may feel unsettled. After all, it’s safe to stick to what and who you know. For anyone feeling that way, I offer another phrase my mentor oftentimes cited: “A ship in harbor is safe—but that’s not what ships are built for.” (God, I hated that woman sometimes. She was right more often than not.) Our camp attendance numbers no longer hover in the 400s. Our camp prices are higher. Our trainer compensation is lower. However, we’re still afloat. In order to move forward, though, we first have to ensure every- one knows where we are. Everyone must know what page we’re on, because only then can we know when it’s time to turn the page to a new chapter. Spoiler alert: It’s time. Still staffed by volunteers, the NWMAF board and various committees have some hardworking, energized members to help take this organization to a new level of national exposure, member participation, and community engagement. As a board, we’re working on implementing a new vision. We’re clarifying old and crafting new policies, protocols, and codes of ethics and conduct. We’re streamlining organizational tasks. Every day, more people from all over the world subscribe to our newsletter. For all our trials and hardships of the past, we’re poised for a breakout moment. continued on next page

Mama G demonstrates the next drill in her class on Super Saturday. Notes From the Chair continued from previous page The NWMAF is at an exciting turning point that will lead to greater strength and support for all who practice martial arts, healing arts, and self-defense. And since the only constant is change, we’ll begin to move our ship out into the harbor—where it’s meant to be all along. Send comments to [email protected].

Lisa Susko (left) and twelve Championship Martial Arts students, all able to attend Camp BE BRAVE thanks to fundraising, pose with Arlene Limas. Low Cost/No Cost Fund Raising for Camp by Lisa Susko, Founder & Owner of Championship Martial Arts Over the past few years we at Jindo Martial Arts (now known as Championship Martial Arts 716) have been able to take 12 members to the Special Training Camps annually. Many have asked how we are able to offer this year after year with very low cost to our members. The answer: it’s all in the fund raising! Over the years we have tried many ways to raise funds, and here are our top “Low Cost/No Cost” methods: • Super Bowl Football Squares. We sell the 100 squares for $20 each. Half goes to the quarter winners and the other half ($1,000) goes to our fund. Create a large 24"x36" poster, and display it right at your entrance. Post on your Facebook page too, so members can share and tag family/friends. • 50/50 Raffles. At all our Rank Ceremonies we hold a 50/50 Split Raffle. We charge $1.00 per ticket, $10 for 12. The winner gets half, our fund gets the other half. You can purchase tickets at Party City or on-line at RaffleTicket.com. • Basket Raffle. We ask members and local businesses to donate a basket or gift card. Ask members to request gift cards from businesses they frequent — restaurants, liquor/food stores, hair/nail salons. Sell sheets for $5.00 per sheet or five for $20.00. Sheets can also be found at Party City or on-line. We usually do this around our December or March Rank Ceremony and pull in over $1,000. • Board Breaking Bonanza. Make a fun event of the day. Offer pizza at $1 per square (see if you can get local a pizzeria to donate or discount in exchange for advertising). Use thin break boards (we get ours from Century Martial Arts). Charge $2 per board. Weeks before the event give each student a continued on next page Fund Raising for Camp continued from previous page pledge sheet where family/friends offer to buy them a certain number of boards. This helps you know how much to order. Subtracting the cost of the boards, we cleared about $200 last event plus the pizza money. • Texas Roadhouse Restaurant Day. Our local TRH allowed us to have a Jindo Day on a Saturday afternoon. All our members were given special passes to give to their wait staff. We received 15% of the total amount spent. We received a check for close to $150 from one afternoon of food and fun at no cost to us. • Tape your Instructor to a Door. We let the kids choose their favorite instructor and then they got to tape him to a door (pillar at our school) while he stood on a box. The idea is to use enough tape to suspend the instructor in mid-air when the box is removed. We charged $1 per yard of duct tape. We purchased the tape at Dollar Tree for $1 per 10-yard roll, available in loads of colors. This was a huge success — we cleared over $500, and the kids had a blast! Then we all went to TRH for our Jindo Day. We have tried selling candy bars and other items, but those required a large investment with no guarantee that we would sell everything. That is why we now go the route of “Low Cost/No Cost” fund raising. Hope this helps you in your quest to attend the Special Training Camp 2020 in Buffalo, NY. If you have any questions, I would be happy to assist. I may be reached at A student of Lisa Susko’s, able to attend Camp MrsLSusko@ thanks to her school’s fundraising, receives aol.com. coaching on her form from trainer Jane Dillon. Meet the Board Sahnya Thom: Healing Arts Coordinator (Serving 2019–2021) Sahnya Thom holds a 6th-degree black belt in Universal Systems of Karate (USK), is an adjunct psychology professor, author, Ph.D. candidate, research assistant, consultant/ coach, and accomplished speaker with a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology and research training and positive psychology certificates. She was a grant recipient for the 2019 Ripon College faculty and student wellbeing initiative. In 30-plus years, she has studied a variety of styles, including Thai Boxing, Boxing, JeetKuneDo, Kali, Taekwondo, Karate, , continued on next page Meet the Board continued from previous page Junfan Kickboxing, Savate, Palm Stick, and flexible weapons. Sahnya integrates positive psychology, Buddhism, Blue Zone philosophy, the science of transformation, applied mindfulness, and indigenous wisdom into her teachings. She has worked in a variety of contexts with diverse audiences including high schools, universities, businesses, LGBTQ community, wellness retreats, and has helped people suffering with PTSD, cancer, diabetes, MS, OCD, depression, anxiety, and the grieving process. She describes herself as a science nerd with a poetic heart who loves to make people laugh while delivering life-changing content. Do you have an idea or question regarding the NWMAF’s healing arts agenda? Send an email to [email protected]. Upcoming Board Meeting The next NWMAF Board meeting is October 20. Board meet- ings typically take place on Sundays at 2 pm central time, via an online meeting site. If you are a member interested in attending, contact Cathy, [email protected], and she will provide you with log-in instructions.

Cynthia Decastro (right) teaching her Joint Lock Flow class. NWMAF Post Cards & Flyers Available Several members have suggested that the NWMAF provide publicity materials to help them spread the word about the NWMAF to people who might not know about us. We have post cards and flyer pdfs for you, which you can download and email, post online, or print and distribute. Big thanks to our graphic design volunteer Mona MacDonald! Download the post card here, and the flyer here.

Odette Russell teaches how to convert ordinary objects into lethal weapons. CALCASA Advises Against At-Home Rape Kit The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault has issued a warning against purchasing a product called “Me Too Kit”, which is being marketed as the “first ever sexual assault evidence kit for at-home use.” In a recent advisory sent to colleges and universities, CALCASA said the kit “cannot provide needed medical care and other services that are made available when exams are performed in a hospital or medical center.” The group also warns that the kits do not protect chain of custody or evidence integrity, and do not help prevent sexual assault. For more information, contact CALCASA at [email protected]. Click here to view the full text of the warning from CALCASA. Member Spotlight NWMAF Wonder Women: Our Origin Stories Last month, NWMAF member Katie Gardner of Berea, Kentucky kicked off a fun and inspiring Facebook exchange by asking the group to post their martial arts/self-defense/healing arts origin stories, and we’d like to share those with all of you through our news- letter. To kick off our new Member Spotlight series, here’s Katie’s own story: “I tried Shaolin when I was in high school, but started crying during my first time sparring and felt like I couldn’t do it. For my 30th birthday I started hanging out at a gym with kickboxing classes and tried them out. The instructors were very trauma- aware, playful, and supportive, so I felt safe to experiment and fail. After a couple of years with them, I found an amazing brown belt teaching a women’s only Brazilian jiu-jitsu class in my area, so I started Katie Gardner training there. Then I moved away and now I’m trying out a local judo place. I love to move my body in different ways, I love the playful energy of sparring now, and I love practicing defending myself. I’m not sure if I’ll find a specific martial art to commit to or not, but I do feel like martial arts are a lifetime commit- ment for me now. Inspired by love of martial arts as well as the inspiration I have inherited from the NWMAF Empowerment Self Defense commu- nity, I have also been training in ESD instruction for 3 years.” Not on Facebook but want to share your origin story? Email it to Lauren Bailey at members@nwmaf. org. And, as our sisters at ESD Global say, always remember that A phone used to disarm #YouAreTheSuperPower! a knife in Odette Russell’s class at Camp BE BRAVE. Celebrating Milestones In September, the following National Women’s Martial Arts Federation (NWMAF) members celebrated milestones in their practice and in their lives: Lauren Bailey, current NWMAF Membership Coordinator, was awarded a first-degree black belt in Combat Hapkido through the International Combat Hapkido Federation (ICHF) at KarateTown in Florence, Kentucky. Jessica McAlear, current NWMAF Youth Coordinator, was promoted to fourth-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate-do and Five Formed Fist Kung Fu through 3 Fires Martial Arts Academy in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Lindsey Ross, current NWMAF Development Coordinator, was awarded a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo through the World Taekwondo Federation at Park’s Taekwondo Training and Fitness in Loveland, Ohio. Lisa Susko, former NWMAF board member, changed the name of her school to Championship Martial Arts 716 — and celebrated 10 years in business! Have you celebrated a milestone? Promotions, marriages, school anniversaries? The NWMAF wants to amplify your good news! Send “Celebrating Milestones” submissions to Board Secretary Katherine Nichols at [email protected]. School Spotlight: Club MMA New NWMAF Board members Lindsey Ross and Lauren Bailey both train at Club MMA. 1. What is the name of your school, and where is it located? We train together at Club MMA, which has locations in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Club MMA head coach Jeff Robison helps in Campbell County, Lauren and her classmate with ground fighting. Kentucky. 2. What style(s) of martial art is/are taught at your school? Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, kali, mixed martial arts 3. Tell us something about your school’s martial art(s). Club MMA is a family gym, with classes for ages 4 all the way through adults. Though the gym houses the Focused Fight Team and is home to several competitive Mixed Martial Arts and muay thai fighters, Club MMA’s curriculum has a self-defense focus. For this reason, adult classes have many police officers, firefighters, and other first responders as students. 4. Does your school teach other programs besides martial arts? The instructors do a lot of community outreach, visiting schools, Girl Scout and Scouts troops, and MRDD organizations to teach children and young adults about self-defense, personal safety, and bullyproofing. They also host children’s summer camps, fun kid events, and fitness programs for adults. continued on next page School Spotlight: Club MMA continued from previous page 5. Who is/are the teacher(s) at your school? The head coach and owner is Jeff Robison. Other coaches on staff include Will Baker, Jerry Clore, Josh Geers, Nik Hoobler-Scherff, and Joel Lippolis (who also manages the Kentucky location). 6. When did your school begin? Who are its founders? Jeff and Abbie Robison opened Club MMA in April of 2008 on the West Side of Cincinnati. Jeff Robison is a lifelong martial artist with a Club MMA instructor Jerry Clore and a student. passion for learning and coaching. Jeff has a unique approach to martial arts because he is able to main- tain the traditional aspects of martial arts but with a contemporary curriculum. He has a long list of martial arts credentials, including a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, a muay thai black sash, a judo brown belt, a Filipino martial arts black belt, a modern arnis black belt, a kali black belt, and a tae kwon do sixth-degree black belt. Abbie Clark Robison is a graphic designer and marketing consultant who was happy to help make her husband’s dream come true by building a business with him. 7. Tell us a story of your school’s evolution from its early days to its present incarnation. With a mission to build a stronger community, the Robisons were determined to create a Club MMA family. They were able to expand their staff in 2010, hiring their first full-time instructors to assist them, and then expand the gym to twice its size in 2015. In the summer of 2019, Club MMA opened its second location in Campbell County, Kentucky. The Robisons also just purchased a building in Cincinnati and will move their West Side Cincinnati gym to this new building in January 2020, where they have nearly 11,000 square feet of space, including over 4,000 square feet of mat. 8. Does your school have a mission statement? Tell us about your school’s goals or vision. Club MMA’s mission is to create a safer, stronger community by building confidence, awareness, and self-defense skills. We promote kindness, develop leaders, cultivate relationships, and teach people how to fight life’s battles through martial arts. New Board members Lindsey 9. How many students attend Ross and Lauren Bailey both train your school, and who are they? at Club MMA. The Cincinnati location, which has been in business for 11 years, currently has over 500 active clients.

continued on next page School Spotlight: Club MMA continued from previous page Our Campbell County location, which has been open less than 2 months, has approximately 40 students. Our students are mostly families and range in age from 4 years old through adult, but our focus is on helping families with self-defense and life skills. 10. Share a unique or interesting fact about your school. Club MMA has had the opportunity to host high-level world- renowned martial artists like Carlos Machado, John Will, David Meyer, Richard Bustillo, Chris Kent, and Bobby Taboada. Club MMA has also been able to reach out in our community to help with self-defense and awareness training for local businesses. Head instructor Jeff Robison is ALICE certified and has trained others in conflict resolution, written the curriculum for local correctional institutes, and assisted in law enforcement training. 11. Does your school have a logo or mascot? Tell us about it. The Club MMA logo is three swoosh marks. They represent motion, and their negative space makes a triangle that is very important to the martial arts industry. The blending of systems is represented as the swooshes overlap. The gym also has individual characters that represent each of their kids’ programs. These characters adorn the walls of the gym, but one character tends to stick out. Their Mat Maniac, a cute green monster in a BJJ gi, often represents the school. 12. What is an interesting tradition you have at your school? At Club MMA, we focus on respect but we don’t adhere to tradi- tional titles of martial arts. The coaches answer to “Coach” or simply their name and no instructor goes by “Master” or “Guru.” We want to emphasize that even our coaches are still seeking knowledge, and we feel that forcing someone to call you by a title doesn’t always represent respect. 13. Does your school have a website? www.club-mma.com To have your martial arts school spotlighted in a future issue, simply send answers to the above questions to [email protected]. You needn’t be the school owner – though if you aren’t, we recommend presenting your answers to school leadership for approval.

Club MMA students Lauren and Lindsey practice at Camp BE BRAVE. Self-Defense In Action by Darla Bolon, NWMAF board member at large for self-defense The following story illustrates the importance of trusting one’s instincts and not giving up. Sadly, bystanders were initially reluctant to get involved to help the victim. ‘I want to let him know that he picked the wrong one’: Winston-Salem Woman Fights Off Attacker Posted July 24, 2019 by CNN News A Winston-Salem mother has issued a warning to the man who attacked her: “I want to let [you] know that [you] picked the wrong one,” said Starla Osborne on her front porch Tuesday afternoon. Osborne was attacked Saturday while walking out of the Burlington Coat Factory on North Point Boulevard. Around 6:00 pm, she had pulled in the parking lot to do her usual shopping. Osborne explained that she saw a suspicious man in the parking lot, so she decided to pull her van in one of the available spots in front of the store. “I just had a gut feeling,” Osborne said. “I went into the store … then I seen him inside the store,” Osborne said. “They say always go with your gut. I don’t know what my gut was telling me, I just knew something wasn’t right.” Osborne said she quickly walked out of the store to her van. She began to fumble with her keys to unlock her doors as quickly as possible. Once the door was unlocked, she jumped inside and threw her bag of newly bought clothes on the floorboard beside her. She saw him when she went to shut the door. “I’m just staring face-to-face with that man I saw… There he was,” Osborne said. He began to push himself on top of her in an attempt to get inside the vehicle. “He just kept yelling something about ‘The Aryan Brotherhood,’ but I don’t know what he was talking about,” Osborne said. continued on next page

Carmel Drewes and Yudit Sidikman co-taught the ESD Model Course. Self-Defense in Action continued from previous page “I just remember trying to honk the horn,” Osborne said. She remembered how groups of people passed by the scene. Some even rolled down their windows to watch. But no one stopped to help. “I’m yelling ‘call 911, just help me, you see me struggling,’” Osborne said. “I’m sitting here in my car yelling for help, but not one person did anything.” For seven minutes, the two of them battled it out inside the van. Osborne said she began to punch the man in the face repeatedly. She said he then started to bite her. “I pulled the car keys out three times then he bit me again in the exact same spots,” she said. Osborne pulled up her sleeves to show off the massive bruises just above her elbow. She then turned her neck around and showed off the bruises around her throat. “He just began to choke me. I couldn’t breathe,” Osborne said. She was able to rip the man’s shirt before she was fully on the ground beside her van. The man, who had realized this was not as easy as he thought, drove off. Osborne was dragged through the parking lot before she was eventually free. “At that point is when people started to come and help me,” Osborne said. Winston-Salem police were notified and spotted Osborne’s stolen van within minutes. They chased the man for several miles before he crashed the vehicle and ran off. Police have still not found him.

From a Former Student This next story is from a former student of mine, who set a boundary with sensitivity and compassion: Everyone in my dorm is very close so we all hangout every weekend and nearly every day. I enjoy spending time with them

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Practicing releases from chokes in the ESD Model Course. Self-Defense in Action continued from previous page but recently one of the guys has developed a crush on me. He has made it very clear that he wants to be more than friends, but I don’t see him as anything more than a friend and thought I’d made that obvious. I’ve walked away from him and said no to several requests. He’s either not gotten the message or has chosen to ignore it. He invades my personal space and follows me around. When we all go out together, he tries to separate me from the group. I have been getting increasingly annoyed with these attempts because they are getting much more direct and invasive. I am not afraid for my safety, but his constant attempts to make us more than friends and his excessive Practicing choke releases in Diane touching makes me Wallander’s class, “The Wall is Your Friend.” uncomfortable. I decided to use some of the verbal techniques we have used in class. I wanted to be very careful with the words I said, not wanting to necessarily lose the friendship or create tension in the building. A couple of weekends ago we were all at a party when he, once again, came up and interrupted my conversation with someone. Once the others left, he started telling me we were best friends and I was his favorite person, all the while coming closer to my face. At that point, I put my hand on his chest and gently pushed him back. Having mentally rehearsed for this moment, I looked into his eyes and I said, “I’m really sorry, but I don’t see us as more than friends. I like you as a person but I do not want to be anything more than friends.” I think he was surprised by my directness, because he paused for a moment then just walked away. He hasn’t tried anything since. He ignores that it even happened. Overall, I’m proud of myself for standing up to him. I can now enjoy myself a lot more when we all go out together because he leaves me alone. We invite you to contribute your own self-defense stories, either to Darla at [email protected] or directly to the newsletter at [email protected].

Have News and Information to Share with the NWMAF Community? We welcome your submissions of news, opinion pieces, fiction, or other writing related to our practices of martial arts, healing arts, and self-defense. We also accept art, photos and comics! Our editorial board reserves the right to edit for space or content considerations. The deadline for the next issue is November 14, and will be every six weeks or so thereafter. Send contributions to [email protected].