Columbia Self Defense

One of the missions of my school, is to help every child I can deal with the issue of bullying.  We cover in class, it's part of our school curriculum, I do free workshops for children and adults and I do several presentations in the local schools throughout the year. I am a BIG believer in how the karate , or the martial arts for that matter, can help most children learn to deal with bullies.  While there is something to learn how to block and strike, more importantly, karate gives children the confidence to stand up, ignore or just plain walk away from bullies. If you don't believe me, check out the article below; just another successful school that addresses bullying head on and helps kids deal with this important issue. By Amanda Perez FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The kids at Fresno Ultimate Martial Arts may be small, but the lessons they're learning there are having a giant impact. Seven-year-old Makayla Bea has been enrolled the martial arts studio since kinde...

By  Joshua Rhett Miller Published November 01, 2011 FoxNews.com    Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, above, made the suggestion at a news conference on Monday while detailing an attempted rape on Sunday at Milliken Park in Spartanburg. A South Carolina sheriff is making the extraordinary suggestion that local women arm themselves following the attempted rape of a woman at a local park, saying, "you need to protect yourself." Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, the county's top law enforcement officer since 2005, suggested local women apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon during a news conference Monday about the attack on Sunday at Milliken Park in Spartanburg. "It just struck me wrong that we keep telling everyone 'trust us, trust us, trust us,' but in reality, you need to protect yourself," Wright told FoxNews.com. "If you are not a convicted felon or someone who causes trouble or don't have any mental issues, ...

Last Thursday, I was invited by my friends at WLTX TV to come onto their morning show and talk about the free self defense workshop I was doing in honor of Domestic Violence month. You can see a video of the segments below: Thanks again to WLTX for being such a gracious host. Sensei Chris Feldt Samurai Karate Studio Columbia, SC 29229 803-462-9425 samuraikaratestudio@gmail.com

Our martial arts school is asking parents, homeowners and drivers throughout our community to join with us to make Halloween safer with these safety tips. Parents ·   Make your child eat dinner before trick-or-treating. ·   Children should carry quarters, so they can call home. ·   An adult should accompany young children. ·   If your children go on their own, be sure they wear watches, preferably those that can be read in the dark. ·   Buy or make costumes with flame-retardant material. ·   Older children should know where to reach you and when to return home. ·   You should know your children’s route for the evening. ·   Although tampering is rare, tell your children to bring their candy home to be inspected before consuming anything. ·   Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect. Homeowners ·   Buy candy that is individually wrapped. ·   Consider healthier alternatives for treats: juice boxes, ...

Sunday, October 2 marks both the United Nations' International Day of Non-Violence and the birthday of one of its biggest proponents: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. This video pays tribute to the concept and the man and is called the "Power of One." Here at SKS, we honor the values and practice of the nonviolent civil actions that changed a nation -- and indeed, the world. Video from KarmaTube Sensei Chris Feldt Samurai Karate Studio Columbia, SC 29229 803-462-9425 samuraikaratestudio@gmail.com

Posted by Jasmine Williams on September 16, 2011 5:23 AM Domestic violence has left over 500 women in South Carolina dead since 2005. On Aug. 28, Jennifer Wilson, a professor at the University of South Carolina, died in her home following multiple stab wounds. Police arrested her ex-boyfriend, Hank Hawkes, for her death. It was early morning when neighbors called to report a loud argument, including Wilson screaming, "No, no, no!" But since it was quiet in the home when police drove by, they did not check on the woman. She was found dead later that day, Yahoo News reported. For the rest of the story, please click HERE . Sensei Chris Feldt Samurai Karate Studio Columbia, SC 29229 803-462-9425

I visited Ground Zero 3 months after the attack on the twin towers and the emotion was just as raw then as it was today, watching the memorials on television.  I had friends who had loved ones that perished that day. It's so hard to imagine the horror of it all and the pain of the survivors and their family's. And we can not forget the magnificent men and women in our military who work hard every day to keep us safe and especially, those fallen soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting our freedom. This is a very powerful tribute to the victims of the 9-11 attack. Let us celebrate the memories of their lives and continue the good work that we are all capable of! Sensei Chris Feldt Samurai Karate Studio Columbia, SC 29229 803-462-9425 samuraikaratestudio@gmail.com

  By Susan Murphy-Milano At what cost to ourselves do we remain in a relationship? Likely this is not a question we ever ask ourselves. But, why not? Could it be that in our lives we settle? Are we too embarrassed to admit when the individual we have chosen to spend our lives with is not who they were at the beginning of the relationship? The answer is yes. The wrong kind of love includes emotional warfare. A destructive game played in a relationship when a person chips away at the very foundation of another individual. Emotional warfare is an invisible dagger to the heart. You don't see it coming when confronted. Below are some examples of : Emotional Abuse Name calling: “ you’re a bitch, a whore, fat, ugly, stupid, slut, trash” . You are constantly told that you are crazy, that you need a psychiatrist; they threaten to have you committed. They tell your children that you are crazy and make them believe that they are not safe with you. They hide personal items in an a...

For those of you that follow me, you know that I believe there are primarily 3 main reasons women get assaulted.  And they are, body language, lack of awareness and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Today, I would like to talk more about awareness and consider some of the warning signs of possible attack.  I call these NON VERBAL ATTACK INDICATORS. Remember, in most instances, your assailant is looking for an easy target and more often than not, the bad guy will take his time to watch and assess his selection.  There are some assailants that have been known to have studied their victims over a considerable length of time.  When I do my self defense workshops, I will often refer to this as "window shopping" .    The attacker is trying to decide which women to attack, so he is window shopping for the one he thinks is going to be the weakest and put up the least amount of resistence.  Remember, assault is meant to be quick.....and if ...

People ask me all the time, why do I talk about domestic violence as part of my self defense workshops or classes? It's simple really! Because South Carolina ranks 6th in the nation in domestic violence and is currently 10th on the list for domestic violence murders! While I love South Carolina, the cold hard truth is women in this state are more likely to be attacked by someone they know, then a complete stranger. As such, here are some statistics that I pulled a couple of years ago, that haven't changed much since then: Domestic Violence Statistics Sex of Victim Male 24.0% Female 76.0% Relationships Ex-spouse 2.5% Family 31.5% Romantic 28.3% Marital 37.7% Substance Use Alcohol 23.6% Drugs .7% Drugs & alcohol 1.2% No substance 74.5% Offenses Homicide .2% Sexual violence 2.6% Robbery .3% Aggravated ...

As part of my beginner karate class at USC, I take 5-10 minute of every class and share topics that are related to assault that I want my students to understand. There are many reasons why women get assaulted, however, most studies show that a woman gets targeted for assault for 3 MAIN reasons.  You might be surprised with the answers.  No, it doesn't have to do with how HOT the women looks or how SEXY she might be dressed. AND yes, nearly 25% of all assault is female on man, so these rules apply to both sexes. Reason # 1 Research shows the number one reason women get assaulted is due to poor body language .  In other words, how you walk, how you carry yourself when you are out in public is a large factor in determining if you get targeted. Do you recognize yourself in this description? Do you walk with your head down, your shoulders slumped, your chest in?  Do you generally keep your hands in your pockets? Do you walk with purpose or just shuffle along at a slow ...

This is a guest post, from Anne Jacoby , an expert in personal safety and a domestic violence survivor....                                                                                                                                                                                                               At ten o’clock that night, Lindsay had checked that her doors were locked, as usual, before shutting the lights off and going to bed. She assumed she was safe within the pro...

10 Tips Parents Need to Know By Dr. Robyn Silverman A horrific story about a 8 year old boy, Leiby Kletzky, gone missing, murdered and dismembered in Brooklyn this week, has parents wondering how to talk to their children about this tragedy. As a parent myself, all I wanted to do was shut my eyes, close my doors, and hold my children tight. It is every parent’s nightmare—not just because of the loss itself—not just because of the gruesome way this young boy died—but because of the senselessness of the murder. What was the motive? Why this boy? Or perhaps more accurately, could it have just as easily been mine? As a mother I find it so hard to write this article. My stomach flips and my teeth chatter just like yours. We want to raise happy, healthy, confident children—not ones that hide from the world and fear those within it. At the same time, these kinds of sickening stories make us want to yell; “stay home with me and never venture out alone!” Logically, we know this is...

Do you like some crunch when you munch? If you're accustomed to snacking on chips and pretzels to satisfy your crunch-fix … there's a healthier solution! While nuts are a delicious go-to choice, they're not your only crunchy snack option! Check out these healthy nibbles … Raw Veggies Celery, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli Edamame Boiled soy beans (in the frozen foods section) Sunflower Seeds Homemade Veggie Chips (Get Recipe) Cereal (high-fiber, low-sugar, whole-grain) Air-Popped or Microwave Popcorn (no trans fats) Apple or Pear Slices Toasted Whole Wheat Pita Enjoy with dip or salsa

This is a guest post by Anne Jacoby, a personal safety expert and child abuse prevention specialist, who posted this article on July 14, 2011. Becoming educated makes a person more understanding, more aware and more comfortable with the  truth .  I am personally becoming more and more appalled with parents that do exactly what is displayed in the picture above.  And, then I get phone calls and emails that their daughters have been assaulted and asked to help them through the system at the schools and law enforcement departments.  Makes me shake my head and ask………”Didn’t you even take the opportunity to check into the crimes stats BEFORE even visiting? Or, spend a some money on giving her the education and advantage of personal safety?”  The majority of the time is “NO”. It is time for females AND parents to get their heads out of the sand, understand the  myths (excuses)  and learn the  facts (reality)  of  “realisitic”  personal...