United Studios of Self Defense

Hey Orange County Area Moms! It's Melanie from United Studios of Self Defense and I am doing something CRAZY to promote our Karate for Kids classes... I'm giving away 20 Passes for a FREE week of Karate Classes! ... Do you want your child to have more discipline, respect, and learn how to defend him/herself? If so, you should try a martial arts class...or better yet, an ENTIRE WEEK of Karate classes for FREE ONLY 20 PASSES AVAILABLE Get a FREE week of Karate Classes at United Studios of Self Defense. Ages 4 and up Click the "Learn More" Button to Claim Your Pass Now!

The Five Principles of USSD // Etiquette What does etiquette mean to you? As one of our five guiding principles, we help our students apply etiquette through th...eir behavior and interaction with one another and their instructors. Employing traditional values of bowing to one another, addressing the Instructors as sir or mam, help to provide an environment of professionalism not always found in other circumstances of life. Establishing an environment of protocol allows the focus to be put on growing and improving, avoiding unnecessary lapses of discipline. The underlying goal is to teach that to get respect, we must give it. #USSD #UNITEDSTUDIOSOFSELFDEFENSE #MARTIALARTS #SELFDEFENSE

A lesson in dealing with multiple attackers. A controlled retreat.

A Cool way to get into Front Position

Real insite into Kempo

Self-Defense Vs. Sport Whether you train in the Martial Arts as a hobby or long-term commitment, you will undoubtedly hear the age-old debate of how some Martia...l Arts techniques may be better served for sport over self-defense. So then, what is better - Martial Arts for sport, or self-defense? The answer, as it were, isn’t so simple. To adapt to the modern audience, where healthy competition and milestones create an environment to stay motivated, many Martial Arts styles have incorporated more sport-based applications. Whereas a student may go their entire life never having to apply their abilities in a street-scenario, we can guarantee that there is always the next tournament, the next belt test, sparring match, and so on. For some, there is always the risk that training purely for sport will outweigh and overshadow the commitment to learning methods that are well rounded to work in an unpredictable, no rules situation. So then, how should you train? The answer, as with many things, is Balance. The beauty of self-defense training is that it’s not just about learning scenario-based techniques, such as a grab escape or blade defense. Any aspect of improvement can put you at better odds should you be put in a threatening situation. Although sport-based Martial Arts training prepares you for winning in a rule-based system, you will acquire many universal skills that crossover efficiently into self-defense. With dedicated training, your stamina will improve, as will your accuracy, timing, power, balance and so on. All of these skills are crucial in the event of an unpredictable attack. Therefore, we’ve applied a hybrid strategy. To stay motivated, always train for the next level-based goal - Tournament competition, rank progression, etc. While you pursue these measurable goals, compliment your skill-training with specific problem-solving skills - such as defending against a mount, grab, specific strike etc. With this hybrid-based training, you achieve the trifecta of self-defense preparedness - Physical, Mental and Emotional clarity. Physical - Be the type of person that can thrive in the no-rules scenario. Mental - Become the problem solver to as many situations as possible - Sport and Non-Sport. Emotional - Develop mental discipline and calm when under pressure. With the above strategy, you can apply this road map to both sport and self-defense based training.

Lee has been a student with USSD for 11 years. She is the embodiment of "A black belt is a white belt who never quit". I am beyond proud. The joy she brings to class and her hard work are an example for all of us. Congratulations Lee L. Lacoca on earning your Black Belt!

Congratulations to An and Cody. They both did great getting their next Brown Belts.

Getting ready for tomorrow’s brown & black belt test. Good luck !

Sparring Feints with Hanshi Jack Turner - Part 1. // Get Two Weeks FREE online training with a certified USSD Instructor! Spots are limited, reserve your spot! Go to online.ussd.com to register. // Make sure to like, share and follow our page for more weekly content!

The Four Dimensions of Self Defense In training for personal defense, it’s crucial to consider more than just physical preparedness. Self-Defense, in its essen...ce, is a balance of mindset and physical follow-through. Below, we’ve outlined the four primary dimensions of self-defense preparedness. The Four Dimensions are like the four sides of a square - the square filled with your fighting skills. Without the understanding and execution of the below rules, your fighting skills may be useless in preventing or stopping a threat. Each of these should be trained exclusively to provide the best-case scenario of safety. Consider each of these outlines below. For a more in depth discussion, speak to your certified USSD Instructor. 1. Awareness 2. Positioning 3. Leverage 4. Stamina // Awareness There’s arguably no better personal defense than preventability. By simply understanding strategies on how to avoid environments and situations where a threat is most likely, we take the greatest step towards avoiding conflict. Below are some basic guidelines on situational awareness and threat preventability. 1. Avoid dimly-lit public spaces with frequent ‘blind-spots’. Schedule shopping or other personal trips for the daytime. When walking outside, stay in an open, distantly visible area where other bystanders can see you from many angles. 2. When going anywhere, observe your surroundings for any irregularities. Suspicious behavior may include someone copying your walking patterns or standing somewhat out of sight in your path. In this event, change your path randomly and find an open, lit space. If you are truly concerned, have your phone handy to call 911 at a moment's notice. 3. Whenever possible, follow the buddy rule. If you’re in high school, college or commute for work, have a car buddy or carpool so you rarely walk to and from your car alone, especially if you follow a specific routine that can be predicted by a stranger. // Positioning Being in an advantageous position can greatly reduce the threat of someone overpowering or putting you in a position you can’t escape from. Below are some basic positioning rules. 1. In common areas where you find yourself outside of your car, such as the gas station, face your back to your car and lock all passenger doors. Avoid looking down at your phone and ignoring your surroundings. When able, look around and observe your surroundings and other bystanders. 2. If someone suspicious approaches you, follow the Red Zone rule. Everyone’s Red Zone is different, but you have to decide how far your personal bubble extends. If someone steps suspiciously within your personal bubble, especially if they are bigger than you, simply address them before they’re in a range they can touch you. (Can I help you?) If they ignore you and proceed closer, you can predict the potential for a threat. This particular rule is different for everyone. A 7ft giant likely won’t have the same Red Zone as a 5 ft. 100 lb. individual. 3. If approached by a potential threat, always have an escape route. Avoid angles where they can trap you in a corner or against a wall. 4. When an altercation is imminent, proper stance positioning is crucial. Establish a wide base that prevents the possibility of falling to the ground, being pushed or pulled in any direction. Keep your hands up near your face with palms facing outward, to appear non-threatening, but allow you to block or strike on a moment's notice. // Leverage More than strength or speed, leverage provides a greater reliability in escaping an altercation. We can assume most altercations will be exacerbated by a threat that is potentially bigger, stronger and faster than you. So, what then can we have as an advantage? When speed or strength isn’t on our side, we can use superior timing, positioning and movement to counter or escape. Consider the domino effect, where a small domino can topple a much larger object with the right angle and momentum. The human body is no different. In self-defense, simply positioning our bodies correctly can allow an escape from a stronger opponent. Executing a move at the right time can make the difference between escape and capture. Speak to your instructor to understand and train each of these elements. // Stamina Although strength and speed play a small role in defense, stamina is always something we must consider. Failing to protect ourselves simply because we don’t have the energy is a sad and preventable scenario. Good stamina can be the difference between an altercation that lasts seconds and one that lasts minutes or more. How can we improve our stamina? Below are some simple tools anyone can train, regardless of age. 1. HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. Martial Arts is a natural HIIT activity. We transition from moments of great exertion to rest many times in one training session. Either by doing a form or sparring intervals and so on. Doing HIIT is a great way to strengthen your cardiovascular system by raising and lowering your heart rate frequently. In addition, we condition our lungs to take great strain. 2. Nothing beats old-fashioned jogging. If your health permits, consider a weekly jogging, walk or bicycling schedule. 3. Stretch frequently. In martial arts training, even a good fighter can tap-out in a fight with a simple cramp or strained muscle. Consider a weekly stretching routine that blends both static and dynamic stretching. In addition to the above stamina-builders, our bodies are naturally conditioned for a fight-or-flight scenario. When we sense danger, we always have adrenaline on our side. Consult with a doctor or your primary care physician before beginning any physical activity. #USSD #UNITEDSTUDIOSOFSELFDEFENSE #MARTIALARTS #SELFDEFENSE

Getting ready for socially distant group classes

Check it out we are featured in the news!! Thank you Valley News for the recognition and support! https://myvalleynews.com/local-martial-arts-studio-takes-v/

You just need to know the right moves.

How about a little jump rope?