Why Should Fitness Professionals Become Personal Safety/Self Defense Trainers?

Why should fitness professionals, especially personal trainers, consider adding personal safety/self-defense training to their skill sets? There are both personal and professional reasons!

Let’s put one myth to rest immediately. Acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary for teaching basic level self-defense methods, tactics, and techniques, does not require years of formal martial arts training or being a Black Belt. But possessing a strong foundation of basic skills and fundamental knowledge is important to having the ability to teach practical, realistic, and effective personal safety awareness and physical self-defense strategies and techniques.

So, why suggest that fitness professionals should (or could) become effective self defense instructors? Here are a few reasons – Fitness professionals:

• Are knowledgeable about how the human body moves (biomechanics/kinesiology) functionally.
• Possess the keen ability to observe and correct improper movement form.
• Can teach how to maximize movement performance for coordination, speed, and power.
• Are highly experienced in designing training programs that adapt to an individual.
• Understand there is more to training people than just the physical aspects of fitness.

Article #2 of this series will provide an in-depth explanation for the first 3 bullet points.

Remember, “ONE BODY, ONE LIFE, ONE CHOICE – BE ‘SAFE & STRONG!’