My Woven Devotion for American Heritage Girls

“You are chosen by God and WOVEN into His image. Your life is to be a living testimony of His love, His grace, His righteousness, and His sovereignty. ” – Patti Garibay, American Heritage Girls Founder.

 

I was blessed to contribute a devotion to the American Heritage Girls 2023 program year theme “WOVEN.”  The 20-part devotion series explores Psalm 139:13-15.

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.”

According to the King James Dictionary, “weave” means skillfully “unite by intermixture or close connection to form something new.” Psalm 139:15, ESV, says, “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately WOVEN in the depths of the earth.”

The Hebrew word for “weave” is “rāqam,” which means to adorn with colors, variegate, or be wrought. The complexity of this word speaks volumes about a girl’s identity in Christ. The color breathed into her life testifies to her inherent beauty. The variations of threads used to weave her together confirm God’s intention of unique and diverse attributes among His creation.

And when a girl understands that God intentionally and carefully wrought her into being, she can be confident that she was created on purpose for a purpose.

To learn more about the amazing ministry at American Heritage Girls, click here. 

 

In an age when society destroys a girl’s self-image and promotes the fluidity of her identity, she can find grounding and comfort in understanding how she was WOVEN by her Creator for her well-being and time and place in this world.

My devotion explores Psalm 139:15

“My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.”

God’s secret place will always be a place of protection for you.

Woven in Secret

Do you have a secret place? Imagine finding a space under the stairs or a cozy spot in a closet. Would you decorate it with fluffy pillows and fuzzy blankets? How about adding a little lamp or

flashlight? Now bring your favorite smooth-tipped pens, colored pencils, and fat markers. Grab a journal and extra sheets of paper. Begin sketching pictures and writing poems and prayers. Now hang the drawings on the walls around you. Wow! You’ve created quite a secret place! Your secret place has pillows and blankets.

What’s in God’s secret place?

A Promise. Just to be clear, the phrase “secret place” is not a bad place. Sometimes we use the word “secret” to hide something. But God is not concealing anything—quite the opposite. His place is filled with His promise never to leave you. Psalm 139:7-8, NIV, begins by asking, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” And it concludes with, “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

Our Identity.

The “secret place” in Psalm 139:15 is in a mother’s womb as her child develops. God is there. Psalm 139:15, ESV, says you were intricately WOVEN. The word “intricately” means He knows every part of you because he made you. You are His beautiful creation. Our identity is created by God. Our identity is in God. He made you with a plan and a purpose.

Our Protection.

The Hebrew meaning of the phrase “secret place” describes God’s protection. King David recalls many times when God came to his rescue. In Psalm 27:5, ESV, he writes, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” God’s secret place is a place of protection for you.

Our Home.

You are not a visitor or stranger to God’s secret place. You are home with God. Psalm 91:1, ESV, says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” To dwell with God is to be at home with God. Jesus. Jesus is your secret place. He made you in the secret place and intricately wove you together in your mother’s womb. Our life is now hidden with Christ in God according to Colossians 3:3. Jesus calls us to abide in Him because He abides with us. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5, ESV)

Jody Token
Coach and creator of The Great Flip
Developer of AHG’s The Great Flip Patch Program
Contributor to AHG’s Free to Grow Patch Program

Discussion

• Do you have a special place that is yours to go and be alone and away from others?
• How does it feel to know that God is always there, even in your secret place, and knows
everything about you?
• How can you create a space, either physically or in your heart, that is welcoming to God and
invites His protection over you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your protection over my life, even in secret places. I am glad that
You see me even when no one else does. Thank You for how You wove me together in secret from
the very beginning. Please draw me close to You in all of my secret places now. In the name of
Your loving Son, Jesus, amen.

Activity

Supplies: Paper, writing utensils (pens, pencils, markers, etc.), pillows, and other decorations
Create a “secret” place of your own!
1. Write out some of your favorite Bible verses and prayers that remind you of God’s great
love for you.
2. Ask permission for a small, special place you can use for quiet time away from others.
This could be a closet, under-stair cubby, playhouse, or treehouse.
3. Decorate your special place with your favorite Bible verses, prayers, pillows, and other
decorations.
4. Spend time in your quiet place alone with God, reading His Word, and thanking Him for
the beautiful ways He uniquely wove you.

 

The Great Flip is honored to be an American Heritage Girls national program alliance! This means AHG troops and families can subscribe to my online martial arts program to:

  • Complete the “self-defense” requirements for the Emergency Preparedness Badge
  • Earn the Martial Arts Sports Pin
  • Create leadership opportunities for girl advancement
  • Earn The Great Flip Patch
  • Learn self-defense, safety and faith-filled empowerment skills!

Request a free video and an AHG discount code

 

Click here and visit The Great Flip AHG Page

 

homeschool martial arts

 

 

 

you are God's great treasure at The Great Flip

You are God’s Great Treasure

 

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭44‬

Where do you insert yourself into the parable of the hidden treasure? Do you imagine yourself as the one who finds the treasure? Do you feel God’s call on your life to sell everything to attain the treasure?

There’s nothing wrong with responding to this parable with a desire to sell everything and/or serve with all your heart.

But here’s “the great flip.” The man in the story is not you. The man in the story is Jesus, and you are the treasure. You are God’s great treasure. Jesus sold everything, even his life to have you.

Remember, we serve and love one another not to get God’s love, but because we already have His amazing love through Jesus Christ.

Feel free to share this devotion with someone who needs to know that they too are God’s great treasure!

 

Welcome to The Great Flip!

The Great Flip is more than faith-over-fear devotions!  The Great Flip is online martial arts for ages six and up. Families and educators can teach martial arts at home and school teaching student self-defense, safety and faith-filled empowerment skills.

homeschool martial arts

Request a free self-defense video and lesson plan. Click here. 

Shop online martial arts plans. Click here.

Do you homeschool? Check out my homeschool martial arts resources. Click here. 

Teach your children the Top 12 Self-Defense Skills with The Great Flip! Click here to learn more.

The Great Flip is an American Heritage Girls national program alliance. Coach Jody is a contributing writer True Girl, a ministry of Dannah Gresh. Would you like Coach Jody to write devotions and/or content for you? Click here to contact Coach Jody.

homeschool martial arts

Are you a Classical Conversations Family? Click here.

Classical Conversations

 

Learn more about my favorite Christian Homeschool Resources. Click on each image below to discover something new for your homeschool journey.

Teach Them Diligently 2020 Homeschool Conventions Center Around Christian Homeschooling • Parenting • Discipleship • Marriage

Schoolhouse Teachers

online self-defense for girls

 

 

 

 

The Great Flip Easter

“The Deep Magic will be Appeased” and Three Lenten Devotions

The season of Lent, for me, is a time to remember God’s amazing grace, mercy and sacrifice for me. I know a lot of people give up things like food, drinks, activities, etc. to create time to pursue more of God. There is nothing wrong with fasting during this season. Those activities are meant to help us return to the Lord in a spirit of repentance.

But consider “the great flip” in this way of thinking. Instead of “doing more for God” try remembering all that God has done for you. Put yourself in a position to recognize all the gifts the Lord continues to give you every day. Consider that even the act of repentance is a gift.  Remember, the top priority of the Lenten Season is the cross. Christ crucified for you.  Then the joy of forgiveness and Easter morning will be all the more spectacular!

Here are three devotions to share with your children for the season of Lent:

The Deep Magic will be Appeased.

But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. 

{ Hebrews 9:26 }

Have you read Narnia’s “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe?” There’s a difficult scene where the lion, Aslan, appears to be defeated by the white witch. All because the boy, Edmond, was selfish, stubborn, and made a terrible mistake. The boy should have paid the price for his sin. Instead, Aslan sacrifices himself and saves Edmond. What appears to be a terrible defeat turns out to be a great victory. (Spoiler Alert! Read the book for the full story!)

“Narnia” written by C. S. Lewis, is also a story of the sacrifice of Jesus. We are selfish, stubborn people. We make horrible mistakes. We deserve punishment for our wrongdoings. But God in his great love for you, sent his son Jesus, to pay the price for your sins. It’s a difficult scene to watch Jesus die on the cross. But his great sacrifice is now your greatest victory. 

Action Point: Write a letter or say a prayer to Jesus and confess your sins. Say you are sorry to him. Spoiler Alert! He is faithful to forgive your sins because of His sacrifice for you!

if it's not good news, it's not the gospel

Restore me, and I will be restored.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. 

{ Psalm 51:17}

Have you ever done something so terrible you thought it was unforgivable? 

King David did. He had committed a terrible sin. David was crushed for the bad thing he had done. He saw no way to make himself right before God. 

When your heart is broken, God will not reject you. You are experiencing a beautiful gift from God. It’s called repentance. To repent is to turn away from the bad and to turn toward the good. In Lamentations 5:21, the people realized only God can turn them back to him. 

“Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!”

And when God restores your broken heart, he also restores assurance of His forgiveness.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9

Action Point: How is God turning you back to him? Repent and read Psalm 51.

girl reading Bible

How to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.

{ Luke 10:17 }

How do you like to worship? Do you like to sing songs? Do you enjoy praying and reading the Bible, Or how about serving as an act of worship?

If your worship is more about what you do, then you might like the Bible story about two sisters who worshiped Jesus. One worshiped by focusing her attention on what she was doing for him. One worshiped by focusing her attention on what Jesus was doing for her. 

There is nothing wrong with singing, praying, reading, and serving as acts of worship. Jesus instructs us to do those things, not to earn God’s love, but because we already have it. 

The kind of worship Jesus seeks is the acknowledgment of his gifts to you, not our gifts to him. Jesus was so sweet to both sisters when he explained the simple truth that worship is more about receiving from him than doing something for him. 

Action Point: Next time you are in church, pretend to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to all the ways you receive God’s gifts as an act of worship.

Jody Token is the creator and coach of The Great Flip, online martial arts for ages six and up. She writes devotions for True Girl, a ministry of Dannah Gresh. The Great Flip is a national program alliance for American Heritage Girls. 

 

Request a free online self-defense video. Click here. 

You can teach online martial arts! Shop plans here.

 

 

 

 

Join the Top 10 Christian Homeschool Resources.

Click on each image below to discover more Christian homeschool resources. Want me to mention your favorite? Contact me. 

 

"Teach       Schoolhouse Teachers

Beatitudes poster

 

 

 

 

The Great Flip on Repentance

The Great Flip on Repentance

Repentance is not something you do for God. Repentance is a gift to you and for you on account of Jesus. Here’s The Great Flip on Repentance.

Click here to watch my devotion reel about “The Great Flip on Repentance.”

 

The Great Flip of RepentanceI have more devotion reels now posted on Vimeo. Be sure to visit my Vimeo page. When you subscribe to my online martial arts program, you unlock access to the technique videos.

Click here to request a free video and lesson plan.

 

Follow me on social media.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thegreatflip

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thegreatflip/

If you’d like to share something with me, use the tag #thegreatflip @thegreatflip

Contact me at jody@thegreatflip.com or through my contact page, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing your faith can be done during physical activity! That’s why I combine my love for martial arts and my faith. The Great Flip is online martial arts for ages six and up! You can teach your children martial arts using my online program. You will teach them self-defense skills, safety tips and faith-filled empowerment. Click here to get started. 

 

homeschool martial arts

online self-defense for girls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apply The Great Flip When You Read the Bible

Not everything in the Bible is about you, but it’s definitely all for you! Sounds a bit shocking, but it’s true. Everything in the Bible points to Jesus … for you. I tend to read the Bible and insert myself into the story. But when I keep Jesus at the center, everything makes sense. Apply “The Great Flip” when you read the Bible. You’ll need your SON-Glasses! 😎

Share this one-minute devotion with your children and discuss it together.

Click here to watch the video devotion

Put on your SON Glasses!

“I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.” Psalm 119:8  

It’s time to put on your “SON glasses.” That’s right, your SON glasses will keep your focus on Jesus when you are faced with doubt. 

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible. King David wrote these words to follow God’s instruction blamelessly and obey God’s precepts perfectly.

But less than eight verses into the Psalm, David reveals the weight of these commands. He knows he is not able to do this perfectly. He cries out “do not forsake me.” 

Have you ever felt doubt when you fall short of God’s commands? Put on your Son-glasses!

Now read Psalm 119:1-8 and see that these words are not about you, but they are about Jesus … for you!

Jesus walked blamelessly. 

Jesus obeyed all the decrees.

Jesus was utterly forsaken.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by failure, put on your Son glasses and know that all of God’s commands and promises are yes and amen because of Jesus finished work on the cross … for you! 

ACTION POINT: Put on some cool sunglasses and read all 176 verses of Psalm 119.

JODY TOKEN is the coach and creator of The Great Flip, faith-filled online martial arts for ages six and up. Request a free video at www.thegreatflip.com.

 

 

You Can Teach Online Martial Arts.

Request a free self-defense video, lesson plan and a discount code! Click here.

 homeschool martial arts

 

The Great Flip is an American Heritage Girls national program alliance. Coach Jody writes devotions for True Girl, a ministry of Dannah Gresh.

Shop online martial arts plans

online self-defense for girls

 

 

Online Martial Arts for Your Church Youth Group

A great activity for your church youth group is my online martial arts from The Great Flip! I will equip you to teach online martial arts. The Great Flip is online self-defense, safety and faith-filled activities for ages six and up. Let’s do this!

Youth leaders/Adults need to prep with:

A large meeting space.

A large monitor or computer screen.

Strong wifi/internet access to watch martial arts videos streaming from your The Great Flip subscription. Click here to choose a plan.

The youth need to prep by:

Bringing a yoga mat, interlocking mats or gymnastic mats.

Wearing comfortable fitness clothes.

Try this Free Self-Defense Skill. Learn the Wrist Escape.

Feel free to browse my collection of free videos at my Vimeo home page:

https://vimeo.com/thegreatflip

My videos follow this format:

  • My videos stream from Vimeo.com;
  • Each video is approximately three minutes in length, easy to watch, rewatch and train with students ages six and older (the whole family can get in on the action too);
  • I teach one technique per video, you’ll see me teach the technique, then watch students of various ages try the technique. You’ll observe the progression of mastery as the students progress with age and ability.
  • No martial arts experience is required! Simply watch the online videos and train! I have designed the videos so anyone can watch, learn and train together. 

 

Now it’s your turn! 

Choose an Online Martial Arts Plan

I offer two paths for your training experience. For those who want a quick start “videos-only” training experience, I recommend The Empowered Plan or The Strong Plan. 

If you want easy-to-follow lesson plans to guide your experience, you will want the Confident and Courageous plans. These plans offer step-by-step instructions through the training and faith-filled talking points with each lesson plan. 

Click here to shop

Want a Discount Code?

 

Share this devotion.

Put on your “Son” glasses!

I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

{ Psalm 119:8 }

It’s time to put on your “SON glasses.” That’s right, your SON glasses will keep your focus on Jesus when you are faced with doubt.

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the Bible. King David wrote these words to follow God’s instruction blamelessly and obey God’s precepts perfectly.

But less than eight verses into the Psalm, David reveals the weight of these commands. He knows he is not able to do this perfectly. He cries out “do not forsake me.” 

Have you ever felt doubt when you fall short of God’s commands? Put on your Son-glasses!

Now read Psalm 119:1-8 and see that these words are not about you, but they are about Jesus … for you!

Jesus walked blamelessly. 

Jesus obeyed all the decrees.

Jesus was utterly forsaken.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by failure, put on your Son glasses and know that all of God’s commands and promises are yes and amen because of Jesus finished work on the cross … for you! 

ACTION POINT: Put on some cool sunglasses and read all 176 verses of Psalm 119.

Click here to watch and share the video

 

 

 

Have questions?

Feel free to browse my website and blogs.

Contact me.

I look forward to serving you with my online martial arts at The Great Flip.

Coach Jody

The Great Flip is an American Heritage Girls national program alliance. Coach Jody writes content for True Girl, a ministry of Dannah Gresh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

homeschool martial arts

 

 

Asbury University Revival

My Asbury University Reaction

Reacting to the Asbury University revival is personal. My daughter is a graduate of Asbury. She had time to travel five hours and attend a few hours of worship. Her personal experience was this:

“God is using Asbury University for a revival. It is rippling across the nation! I pray that it ripples through me too. I went to seek out an emotion I have been missing, the one we often feel when we are worshipping or the Holy Spirit fills us. I did not feel anything special when I walked into Hughes auditorium.
I wish I could say I did and at the same time, I know that God moves beyond our feelings and into our reality. I was reminded of this Truth: God’s Kingdom is available wherever you are. We just have to ask and be open. Amen.”

 

This revival is more than an emotional experience.

It is an objective reality of God’s promises to his people. I am praying for this move of God and the young people here. It is a peaceful, honorable and joyful expression of God’s grace.

The kingdom of God is evident when two elements are present according to the Gospel of Mark 1. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

There are a ton of videos on social media with #asburyrevial2023.

My reflections:

 

 

The Perfect Prayer

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ” Matthew 6:9

If this revival stirs your heart and you wish you could worship and pray like those you see in the videos, I have good news for you! You can!

My ministry at The Great Flip is to teach you to “flip” your way of thinking about your spiritual life. Prayer and worship are not something you do for the Lord. Flip that! Prayer and worship are gifts from The Lord. 

We go to church not to earn God’s love, but to receive God’s love. When you go to church, you receive the forgiveness of sins declared to you on account of Christ alone. You hear the Word and it gives you faith. “Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

So, go to church! God did not intend for us to worship and pray in isolation and online. Corporate worship where his gifts can be given to you!

The disciples marveled at Jesus’ prayer life. They asked Jesus how to pray, so he gave them the perfect prayer. 

The first words of the Lord’s Prayer are a beautiful reminder of your status before God. He is your Father. You are his child. This means your prayers are not what make you acceptable in his sight. You have been made acceptable through the blood of Christ. 

Don’t worry about fancy words. Don’t be afraid to give God all your worries. He has it all covered in the words of the Lord’s Prayer. 

ACTION POINT: Memorize the Lord’s Prayer. Next time you need to pray, you have the perfect prayer given to you as a gift from your heavenly Father.  

 

JODY TOKEN is the coach and creator of The Great Flip, faith-filled online martial arts for ages six and up. Request a free video at www.thegreatflip.com

homeschool martial arts

 

 

Christmas Devotions from Coach Jody

Joy to the World!

Jump for Joy!

“When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.” Luke 1:44

I still remember your first movements inside my belly. I played music for you. I sang to you. I read stories to you. Sometimes when I spoke, or when the dog barked, or when your daddy spoke, you would jump for joy. I couldn’t wait to meet you. jump for joy

Now here you are, sitting beside me. You are my joy! We still sing silly songs and read stories. What makes you jump for joy today? 

Children are a blessing. Mary and Elizabeth spent three months together preparing for the birth of their sons. Imagine the joy they must have felt as they prepared for childbirth. The Bible is full of verses connecting children to joy!

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!” Psalm 127:3-5

And God, your heavenly father, is filled with joy when he thinks about you. He likes to sing joyful songs to you!

“For the Lord, your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

I wonder what song he is singing for you? Jump for joy!

ACTION POINT: 

Hey mom, tell your daughter something about your pregnancy. Share the joy you felt when she first moved inside of you. Or if your daughter is your adopted daughter, share that joyful moment when you first held your daughter in your arms. Sing a joyful song together and jump for joy!

 

The Thrill of Hope

Worth the wait!

“At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.” Luke 2:25 

There’s a story in the Bible about a man named Simeon who had hoped to see the promised Messiah (Jesus). He waited his whole life to meet Jesus. But he was getting old. Not just days, weeks or months, but years and years he waited. But God had promised Simeon he would get to meet Jesus, so Simeon believed. light bulb stop fear with faithfulness

Then one day a young couple with a newborn baby boy came into the temple. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Simeon went to the temple and took baby Jesus in his arm. This is Simeon’s “thrill of hope” response: 

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

ACTION POINT: Have you ever waited a long time for something? Are you waiting for one of God’s promises? What is the greatest promise given to you through Jesus? Write your own “thrill of hope” response. 

 

JODY TOKEN is the coach and creator of The Great Flip, faith-filled online martial arts for ages six and up. Request a free video and lesson plan at www.thegreatflip.com

These devotions were written for the True Girl subscription boxes! Check out the amazing ministry at True Girl.

 

Empowering Parents to Teach the Top 12 Self-Defense Skills

I added two empowering products to every online martial arts plan here at The Great Flip! How can two simple PDFs be so exciting? These two documents will empower you to track your student’s training experience and master the top 12 self-defense skills.

First, shout out to my current customers who have offered feedback and amazing ideas for their online martial arts experience. These two ideas are from and for you!

A Progress Chart and a Certificate of Completion

Every plan now includes these two downloadable PDFs. The progress chart will encourage your students to practice each skill. It will give you a designated deadline to “test” your student’s progress and ability. Keep in mind each student’s age and development for testing the skill. A six-year-old skill will look different from a sixteen-year-old. Each year, your students can continue to advance in their skills.

The Top 12 self-defense skills will increase your student’s confidence, courage and character. At the end of the training, you can reward your students with a personalized Certificate of Completion.

 

Win a Free Sticker

And of course, there is a fun incentive at the end of the training. Your students can choose two extra skills. You can video their technique and send the video to me for my evaluation. I will review the skills and reward your students with a free sticker! Yah!

 

stickers

 

To learn more about the top 12 self-defense skills and to choose a plan, click below. See you on the mat! – Coach Jody

Click Here to Shop Online Martial Arts Plans

 

Four Tips for Empowering Homeschool Martial Arts

The martial arts will accomplish the health-based and skills-based goals of your physical education requirements in your homeschool. In this blog, you will learn the four tips for an empowering homeschool martial arts class!

Physical education, aka PE, should be an important part of your homeschool routine. Giving your children physical activity of any kind will create a positive attitude toward fitness. This will cause them to value their health. Regular exercise reduces chronic disease and many health problems related to lack of exercise. Physical movement will improve cognitive function which promotes learning in other areas.

PE gives your child a place to explore skill-based activities such as team and individual sports. They will learn sportsmanship and competition while improving their social skills.

But the martial arts check every PE box plus some. Not only does it create positive health and exercise benefits, but it adds strong character development skills such as self-defense, safety awareness, and overall self-confidence. This confidence spills over into all aspects of life, for a lifetime.

Before you jump in the car and head down to your local martial arts academy, you can teach a homeschool martial arts class. Here are four tips to consider:

Choose a Martial Art

Not all martial arts are created equal. If you want a martial art that addresses self-defense, I recommend Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Bjj is a “grappling sport” which means there is a lot of ground movement, much like wrestling.

The overall strategy of Bjj is to control your opponent. It focuses on skills to take an opponent to the ground, controlling one’s opponent, and using a number of techniques to force them into submission.

Studies show that 95 percent of street fights end on the ground. The techniques learned in Bjj enable participants to escape, attack, or get into a more dominant position.

Bjj is also a martial art designed for a smaller, weaker practitioner to subdue much larger and stronger opponents. Participants use techniques and leveraging skills instead of relying on brute force. All martial arts provide confidence and courage, but only Bjj connects the sport to self-defense in a way that everyone, of all ages, can learn.

Create a Martial Arts Class at Home

You don’t need a large amount of space to train at home, but to protect the lamp and china, you might want to create a training/fitness space. I purchased interlocking mats. You can also find inexpensive three-fold gymnastic mats. If you want to get fancy and go all out, you can purchase professional BJJ mats. I spent $40 on two sets of interlocking mats. I have a basement/lower level in my house for my exercise space. Some people use their garage or a spare bedroom. Many homeschool families get together in their co-op and/or church to purchase mats and find a communal space to train together.

Here’s a glimpse of my little training space at home.

Here’s an introduction to a homeschool martial arts class structure.

Get a Training Partner

You can begin with a few “no-contact” movements and warm-ups, but in order to get the most benefit from the experience, you need a training buddy.  Learning a martial art with your child can be a fun and rewarding experience. Inviting your child’s best friend and a group of friends enhances the experience.

Bjj is referred to as the gentle martial art. You and your child can simulate real techniques in real-time with a low risk of injury. Of course, there’s always some risk, but Bjj lends itself to learning real self-defense skills with low risks. My instructional videos focus on escaping, controlling, and submitting techniques inspired by BJJ movements. My teaching style is fun, playful, and empowering for everyone.  Click here to request a free video.

Subscribe to a Professional Online Martial Arts Resource

I created an easy-to-follow online martial arts resource called The Great Flip. No experience is required. No high-cost uniforms or belts are needed to participate. Simply download the lesson plans, watch the videos, and train. Everything you need to run a martial arts class is at The Great Flip.

My daughters inspired me to develop an online martial arts experience. After seven years of training BJJ and earning my purple belt, I took a leap of faith to bring the martial arts to everyone with an online learning platform. My daughters appreciated the opportunity to train at home and feel empowered. Children as young as first grade through high school can benefit from my introductory approach. Make your homeschool PE class fun and functional for everyone in the whole family. Request a free video here. 

More About the Author:

Coach Jody Token

Jody Token is the creator and coach of The Great Flip, faith-filled online martial arts. Request a free video at www.thegreatflip.com.

 

Click here to choose a faith-filled online martial arts plan.

Click here to contact Coach Jody and/or request more information.

Click here to see this blog as featured on homeschool.com

 

The Great Flip is an American Heritage Girls national program partner.