Southeast students had the opportunity to participate in self-defense and situational awareness training at the Student Recreation Center. The training class was hosted by Legends Martial Arts Club in Jackson, Missouri.
Legends Martial Arts Club was founded in 2016 and is family owned and operated, affiliated with ATA Martial Arts. Martial Arts School offers training and classes for all ages, from young children to parents and seniors.
In partnership with SEMO, Team Legends visited campus as part of their efforts to promote Sexual Assault and Alcohol Awareness Month. Team Legends taught skills to help keep students safe. Self-defense, awareness of surroundings, and self-confidence were the team's main goals during the day's training.
Johnson spoke about the importance of basic skills and knowledge that civilians should have when it comes to self-defense.
“People have become reactive instead of proactive, and we want to change that. We're not doing as many of these classes as we would like or need to,” Johnson said.
Lead instructor Brandon Johnson demonstrates some of his favorite martial arts poses.Photo by Hannah Shelman
Johnson spoke about the various ways a person can gain confidence and strength by participating in simple workouts.
Team Legend hosted short 20-30 minute classes that included simple punching, kicking and defensive training to give participants the basic knowledge to defend themselves against an attacker.
“Everyone should know how to protect themselves. The more you know, the better, and knowledge of any martial arts is helpful,” Johnson said.
The passionate side of Johnson's martial arts background was apparent through his dedication to the sport. Johnson encouraged people to use their strength, whether they believed in it or not. Johnson spoke about his experience as the lead instructor at Legends Martial Arts.
“One boy emailed me after I taught him in a martial arts class and wrote a book report about me. That inspired me and motivated me to continue teaching the craft,” Johnson said.
Inspiration is one of the driving forces behind Team Legend. The team wants to inspire parents and children to develop self-belief, especially in today's times.
Team Legend member Trent Ordinia, 18, helped run the class and showed off his skills.
Ordinia, a younger member, believes martial arts play a major role in self-defense.
“The world today is more dangerous than ever before, and we must spread self-awareness to those around us, especially college students on campus,” Ordinia said.
Team Legend members will pose for photos before the self-defense class and situational training.Photo by Hannah Shelman
Ordinia played out a scenario in which a student was walking back to their dorm, with the situation potentially escalating if an attacker closed in. It's just one example of why Ordinia thinks such drills are so prevalent on college campuses.
Ordinia himself has been coaching classes since he was a teenager, and he shared some of his favorite parts of martial arts.
“I love seeing people excited to be out there, especially when they start to feel more confident and believe in themselves,” Ordinia said.
Brooke Hildebrand Crabbs, assistant professor of leadership and secondary education, also attended the class and participated herself.
“There's a reason we offer self-defense classes during Alcohol Awareness Month – alcohol can weaken your awareness and make you less able to protect yourself,” Crabbs said.
Johnson and Team Legend taught participants the importance of being aware of their surroundings, with or without alcohol, and also provided mental and physical skills for participants to take home.
