Self-Defense from the Inside Out

Intensive Weekend Workshops in Santa Cruz, CA

At the Westside Aerobics and Martial Arts Studio

No prior experience with martial arts is needed, and you don’t have to be in shape or even able-bodied to participate in this program.

In a safe, supportive, non-competitive, non- judgmental learning environment you'll progress at your own pace through practice scenarios individually tailored to protect your body's vulnerabilities and focus your power.

You can expect to gain a new appreciation of your body’s intelligence, power and creativity.

The Physical Training: each day begins with a gentle warm-up, stretch, and strengthening of the body.

Padded Instructor - Model Mugging training teaches your body simple, effective skills to stop a physical attack. These skills will be stored in your muscle memory.

The verbal strategies, boundary setting skills and physical techniques you will learn will deepen the connection to that part of yourself that has the willingness and ability to transform your life and your relationship to the world.

Those with experience of violence and abuse in their past have a unique opportunity for healing around those experiences.

Insight into the "Self" behind the "Defense"

The structures we build around our core vulnerabilities serve to defend and protect us from harm. When these boundaries are unconscious, they can also drain our energy, keep parts of our experience hidden or denied, and actually make us more vulnerable.

One of the focuses of this program is to examine these structures and defense mechanisms, insights into their purposes, and gain choices around using them or replacing them with other tools and skills.

Participants will increase their awareness of the choices and responses available to the stressful circumstances that would previously have triggered reactions such as fear, panic, rage, powerlessness, and dissociation.

DEPTH HYPNOSIS™: One on one hypnotherapy is available to explore insights from the class, or to work more deeply with specific issues.

An Inspirational story from a recent graduate:

"My car had broken down (it was around 8:30 pm) and I was sitting on a curb next to my car writing a note to put on my windshield. I have been in this parking lot so many times and it never occurred to me that it wasn't safe there. I saw a guy approaching me from the side, before I could get up he grabbed me from behind.. He had me in a REALLY tight hold and he said "give me some love" - I remember thinking oh my god, this is it - Then I just started screaming at the top of my lungs and doing whatever I could to get away from him.. We struggled for probably about 10 seconds or so... The next thing I knew was that he let go, looked up, and ran away. I saw that there was a big hunting knife on the sidewalk and instinctively I picked it up. I guess he dropped it before he ran away or had let go of it in the struggle, I was not even aware when he grabbed me that he had a knife. I think he wanted to rape me, because he could have easily just taken my purse and run with it without even attacking me because it was sitting on the sidewalk the entire time. It's pretty amazing that somehow I got out of this with just some cuts on my hand. It felt like I was fighting for my life - I do clearly remember screaming like crazy. Anyway, I am so glad I took your course, Eliot. I don't know if I would have reacted the same way had I not taken it or if I just would have frozen."

Instructor: Eliot Nemzer has taught self-defense to people of all ages, genders, and abilities for over ten years, and trained teachers in padded instructor/Model Mugging methods through this and other countries. Eliot has a hypnotherapy practice in Santa Cruz, CA., specializes in Depth Hypnosis™, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Foundation of the Sacred Stream www.sacredstream.org .

To Register or for more information, contact: Eliot Nemzer at 831.345.7780 or at info@eliotnemzer.com