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see you on the mat

Learn self-defense at home

COVID19 Stay-At-Home ready! Who knew online self-defense would become more important than ever. Families and teachers are seeking wholesome, instructional and educational online curriculum. The Great Flip online self-defense is for everyone, ages six and up, inspired by the martial art Brazilian jiu-jitsu, safety and empowerment.

In this blog, you will learn how to set up a training space at home. The Great Flip is designed to be fun, playful and empowering. Each video inspires confidence and courage while you maintain a safe and controlled environment. Let’s get started!

Reasons to learn self-defense at home:

  • Increase your child’s confidence and courage in a controlled environment.
  • Avoid the germy gym.
  • Prep for a martial arts academy experience.
  • Introduce your children to the martial art Brazilian jiu-jitsu in a safe, positive and affordable environment.

Shop the Plan

Create an exercise area at home. Watch this short video and watch Coach Jody set up her training space.

Oh, and yes, distractions happen. Meet my dog, Brandy.

Now, let’s make your equipment list:

You!

Duh. I cannot wait to see you on the mat! You will be so happy you are learning a new life skill in the privacy of your home.

A training buddy

Grab a family member and/or group of friends. There are a several solo-drills and techniques, but most of the videos require a training partner. Plus, training with family and friends is fun! Go get your training buddy!

see you on the mat

Soft training space

Before you start training, I recommend setting up a designated training space that’s soft. Yoga mats, beach towels and even the carpet is better than the hard floor. The best option would be mats.  As you saw in the video, I bought the interlocking mats . These are reasonably priced and have multi-functions. The folding gymnastic mats are nice too. You can get fancy and buy jiu-jitsu/MMA mats, but that is not necessary. Bottom line, set-up a training space big enough for two people to train. I started with a 4×6 space and I just doubled it to have a little more room. I use the interlocking mats. I recommend the 8×12 space so two people can comfortably perform all the techniques.

I bought my mats on Amazon. The mats come in a 4×6 package for $20. So I spent$40. Share the price with your training buddies! Or, ask your school, church or fitness center if you can borrow mats! Be sure to keep them clean with disinfect wipes or spray before and after use.

see you on the mat

Comfortable Clothes

You don’t have to buy fancy work-out clothes, but wear clothes you can comfortably move around in while standing and while moving on the ground.

No shoes

I prefer to train without shoes. Typically, I’m on an exercise or yoga mat which needs to stay clean. I don’t wear shoes or socks. Plus, wearing socks can be slippery. Training in bare feet will keep your training space clean, strengthen your feet and encourage better balance.

Hair bands

Yes girls, please pull your hair back into a pony tail or whatever you prefer. When your hair is up and out of your face, you can see better and train better. And when you work with a partner, you are less likely to accidentally pull each other’s hair.

A teachable spirit

I’ll be honest, when I started learning jiu-jitsu, I walked off the mat several times completely frustrated.

see you on the mat

The techniques look so simple and easy, yet I was unable to do them right away. The techniques take practice. Be patient with yourself. The online instructional videos are designed to be watched repeatedly. And you can watch and practice from the comfort of your own home and training space until you master the technique.

I remember going to a one-day self-defense workshop and learning a million cool techniques. But when I got home to share my new knowledge, everything was mixed up or had vanished from my brain. I had not practiced enough to create the muscle memory. BJJ techniques are simple but requires practice.  This is just like any other sport. You can’t expect to hit a three-pointer in basketball or pitch the perfect strike in softball without practice. Come to the mat with a good attitude, willingness to learn, discipline to practice … and you will succeed!

That’s it! Gather yourself, your positive attitude, friends and a soft place to train. See you on the mat!

Remember to tell me about your training space! Send me an email to jody@thegreatflip.com or follow me on Instagram @thegreatflip and use hashtag #thegreatflip in your posts!

Three easy steps to begin your online self-defense training experience.

  1. Choose a training experience.👈
  2. Enroll.
  3. Train.

See you on the mat! – Coach Jody

The Great Flip is a national program partner for American Heritage Girls!

the great flip in your American Heritage Girls Troop Meeting

The Great Flip in your American Heritage Girls Troop

In this blog, you can learn more about the AHG & The Great Flip relationship. You will learn how AHG troops are implementing The Great Flip into their troop experience. You will learn how girls are using The Great Flip for leadership opportunities, how the older girls, aka Pi/Pa’s are completing the self-defense requirement in the Emergency Preparedness Badge and earning the Martial Arts Sports Pin.

If you have more ideas, please share them with me and I’ll add them to this blog!

The Great Flip is online self defense and life skills for girls ages six and up and I am honored to be a national program alliance for American Heritage Girls.

If you are considering bringing self-defense training into your home and troop experience, let’s look first at safety. It is my goal to give girls confidence and courage while you create a safe experience.

  • soft mats
  • sanitizer wipes or spray
  • comfortable clothes
  • no shoes or socks when training on the mats
  • no jewelry
  • hair in a ponytail
  • a training partner
  • a teachable and willing attitude!

Earn the Martial Arts Sports Pin

martial arts sports pin

When you purchase any of my online martial arts plans, you gain access to everything you need to earn the AHG Martial Arts Sports Pin! A PDF document from your AHG handbook about the Martial Arts Sports Pin, along with all the videos you need earn this pin.

Pi/Pa’s can earn the “self-defense” requirement in the Emergency Preparedness Badge with either plan.

Virtual Troop Meetings

Everyone can practice at home with The Great Flip!

Girl Leadership

The Great Flip offers a great opportunity for girl-led activities in your AHG Troop. Whether a girl or a parent leads the instructional videos, she MUST preview and practice the techniques before teaching anyone else.

“The girls really enjoyed the program. My daughter used it as her Community Outreach project to receive the Harriet Tubman award. She practiced with the videos every day for a over month, then led the girls along with the videos and helped them learn and practice the techniques. Thanks so much for such an awesome program. Everyone enjoyed it!” – Jennifer O’Brien, AHG Troop Leader

Special Event

The 12-video series can be completed during a 1.5-hour workshop format. Each video is approximately three minutes. Girls can practice the techniques for 5-10 minutes, then move on to the next technique.

Father/Daughter Event & Mother/Daughter Event

The Great Flip offers an empowering and interactive event for girls to do with mom or dad!

Unit Meeting

Tenderhearts through Patriots can learn self-defense skills during a Unit meeting. You can complete one technique per meeting or work on several techniques.

Pre and Post Meeting Fitness Stations

Give the girls something fun to do before or after Troop meetings. Learn one or two techniques per meeting! And this is a great place for girl leadership to shine!

Don’t forget to order patches!

Go to Merchandise and place your order.

Click here to choose a self-defense plan that works best for your AHG troop

To keep the program affordable, Coach Jody allows a membership plan to be shared within an AHG troop. Please consider supporting Coach Jody. Click here.

Thank you 😍🇺🇸 – Coach Jody

Request a Free Video

rescued from anorexia and the joy of food

Rescued from Anorexia and the Joy of Food

When Kristi Tatro was 16 years old, she was rescued from anorexia. Her story is a powerful testimony of Jesus as her Rescuer and Redeemer! Now with two daughters of her own, she is passionate about sharing the joy of food and the power of positive nutrition. And as the American Heritage Girl (AHG) National Director of Girl Impact, she can share her message of hope with girls everywhere.

And I’m honored, here at The Great Flip, to be in relationship with AHG. The Great Flip is a national program partner to AHG. I am blessed to share self-defense and life skills with AHG  girls, leaders, Troops and their families!  And I’m thrilled to pass along  AHG’s resources. To learn more about my relationship with AHG, Check out this previous blog post.

Podcast with Kristi Tatro, American Heritage Girls 

If you are an AHG fan, you’ll love the imagery of Kristi and I sitting down at the infamous AHG kitchen table. We had a “virtual” kitchen-table conversation so Kristi could share her testimony and expertise in nutrition.  Feel free to pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or tea) and join me and Kristi in this podcast. And if you are about to jump in the car, grab your smart phone, pull up your Spotify, Google Podcast or Anchor Apps and search for The Great Flip in the Podcast settings) Oh, and funny story, we tried to make a video, but our technology skills couldn’t quite pull it off, so lucky for you, I now have a fantastic podcast to share ! Click the play button below.

The  journey that led Kristi to AHG as the National Director of Girl Impact is inspiring.

Kristi has a B.S. in Health Appraisal and Enhancement/Sport Studies with minors in Nutrition and Gerontology.   Kristi is passionate about the next generation. She spent over 10 years working as the Family Ministry Pastor for LifePoint Church, and Four Corners Church, and volunteered her expertise on the leadership team at Anthem House Church; all three in West Chester, Ohio area. She then joined the team at American Heritage Girls, Inc. almost four years  ago and now serves as the National Director of Girl Impact. She oversees the development of the AHG program, builds strategic alliances/partnerships with like-minded organizations and ministries, secures sponsorship’s for AHG events, and manages the Annual Stewardship Campaign as well as major gifts.

Kristi says;

rescued from anorexia and the joy of food

I recently asked my oldest daughter, Kelsie, what her favorite holiday was and she joyfully exclaimed that it was Thanksgiving! When I asked her why it was her favorite, she told me “all the food and all the people!”

I was thrilled and quite surprised that my 15-year-old was so enthusiast about food and community. It is a goal of mine to raise daughters that appreciate the beauty of food and the power of gathering around it.

Holiday gatherings, in the American culture, are mostly associated with an abundance of food. It can easily be a season of over consumption for this reason.  I have tried to be an example to my daughters by doing my best to follow a few guidelines, especially around the holidays:

  • Everything in moderation.
  • Food is to be enjoyed-slow down, be present, and enjoy each bite.
  • Ask myself “what do you really want to eat?”
  • Ask myself “what is my body needing?”

My hope is that we break the cycle of passing down to our daughters any of our negative attitudes towards food and encourage them to see it as a wonderful gift that God has provided for us. May this holiday season be one that brings about new conversations around our relationship with God and the gift of coming together to enjoy the gift of food that He has provided. I’m becoming increasingly convinced that food is one of God’s love languages!

“God created [food] to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. … [He] richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 4:36:17).

Thank you, Kristi for being vulnerable and transparent in this podcast. You are a shining light of servant leadership for our girls!

Want to learn a simple self-defense and life skill right now?  Watch this video!

The Great Flip is online self-defense and life skills for girls ages 6-18. You can subscribe to The Great Flip by clicking on 2 Ways to Join. Become a subscriber and gain unlimited access to simple self-defense instructional videos and learn in the comfort of your own home and/or American Heritage Girls Troop meeting. The videos are less than three minutes, easy to watch and learn.

If you are an American Heritage Girl leader, check out this page designed specifically for you at www.thegreatflip.com/AHG

American Heritage Girls

  • Yes, The Great Flip has a Patch
  • Yes, The Great Flip serves as an awesome girl leadership opportunity
  • Yes, The Great Flip accomplishes badge work such as the Martial Arts Sports Pin, and the Self-Defense requirement for Pi/Pa Emergency Preparedness

Yes, you need to subscribe to The Great Flip and teach your girls self-defense and life skills

See you on the mat!

Coach Jody

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via jody@thegreatflip.com.

You can find The Great Flip Podcast in these free apps (be sure to give me a “like” or click the little heart button within the podcast):

Anchor

Breaker

Google Podcasts

Pocket Casts

RadioPublic

Spotify

American Heritage Girls Program Alliance

The Great Flip Begins with American Heritage Girls

American Heritage Girls Program Alliance

There was no better place to launch The Great Flip than with American Heritage Girls! AHG is the premier national character development organization for girls ages 5 to 18 that embraces Christian values and encourages family involvement. Their mission is “Building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.” They do this through life skills enhancement, social development, leadership, spiritual growth, team building and character development. If you’re not familiar with AHG check it out at www.americanheritagegirls.org

The Great Flip is an AHG National Program Alliance teaching girls life skills

AHG values alliances with like-minded organizations and works to establish relationships in order to offer additional resources and benefits to its members. The Great Flip is featured on the AHG National website as a national program partner with a mission to teach girls life skills.

American Heritage Girls

American Heritage Girls, their Troops and families who join The Great Flip will learn positive self-defense within the safety of their Troop and family environments. Girls will have access to Biblical-based motivation and wholesome nutritional resources. And of course, they’ll earn a cool, awesome patch!

American Heritage Girls

A Page Just for AHG

Head on over to www.thegreatflip.com/AHG for more information to use The Great Flip in your Troop!

Listen to my Podcast with AHG National Director of Girl Impact

Most of my blog posts are also in Podcast format. So if you don’t feel like reading, you can simply listen to my resources by clicking on the podcast within each blog.  Kristi Tatro, AHG National Director of Girl Impact tells an amazing story about God’s redemptive work in her life as she dealt with anorexia as a teenager. And now, she shares her love for nutrition.

Where to start? Begin your self-defense journey with a free video. Click here to learn Three Life Skills for Every Girl then learn the Wrist Escape Technique.

Make The Great Flip part of your AHG Troop programming. Go to www.thegreatflip.com/AHG to learn more about implementing The Great Flip into your Troop activities.

Click here to Join Now

I’ll see you at the 2020 National Conference! See you on the mat!

Coach Jody served in AHG for nearly 10 years. She started several Troops and served on the national AHG staff. Her daughters were both AHG members.

See you on the mat!

Coach Jody