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!
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.
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.
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.
- Choose a training experience.👈
- Enroll.
- Train.
See you on the mat! – Coach Jody
The Great Flip is a national program partner for American Heritage Girls!
And my favorite, I connect faith to the physical activity, giving you the opportunity to share the love of Jesus! 
