Self-defense is not necessarily about beating up someone that has bullied a person; it is mostly about confidence and the will to push on in whatever may come someone’s way.
To Justin and Robin Cuellar, self-defense is more than about throat punches and knee-shattering kicks; it is about strength of mind. The strength of mind comes with knowing how to defend yourself and the level of fitness obtained from training.
The Cuellars have been offering free self-defense classes since January when they held their first two classes at the Attala County Library. Since that time the classes have grown somewhat, and they are now held monthly at Attala County Martial Arts, located at The Fitness Company. To attend the monthly classes a prospective student must be at least 16 years old, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian ,due to the subject matter discussed in different self-defense scenarios. The next class to be held will be on Tuesday, August 22.
“I’ll have to give Jessica Oakes and the Attala County Library big props on the self-defense class,” said Justin Cuellar. “They approached us first, asking us to a self-dense clinic for a program that they were doing in January and February. We got to thinking about it and we thought this was something that we could do to give back to the community. We do it for the people who would like to take classes, but are somewhat apprehensive or didn’t have the financial ability to do so. This is something that we love and we want to get martial arts out there, and it’s a way to empower not just women but to empower individuals.”
The class is taught in a way that makes students feel that they are never too old or too young to learn new things about self-defense. Cuellar speaks of his support system, which includes his wife and family, that give him the desire to give back because of the support that he has had through the years. “One of the biggest things we have noticed is that we have women coming in from all walks of life,” added Cuellar. “Some of these women have been in an abusive relationship or assaulted in some kind of way, and some are women who have just graduated from high school and may have lived a very blessed and sheltered life and may not know of some of the horrors that are out there. We have seen tremendous growth in the support that these ladies have had for one another while working out and it has given them the empowerment and self-confidence to really see what they can do and to try something new. That is what it is all about.”
Cuellar states that the women encourage each other during workouts and he has seen this give confidence to others who normally would not have had the confidence to ask questions. “They may have never met before that night, but they just cheer each other on. I have seen the shy ones gain confidence and to start asking questions because they realize that someone else probably wanted to ask the same exact question,” said Cuellar.
The main goal of Attala County Martial Arts is to make everyone feel welcome. No matter what walk of life they are from, whether they are in a bad situation or coming out of one, anyone is welcome. Some may just want to do it for the fitness or the self-confidence that comes with learning the arts, no matter what the reason is for coming. Cuellar says that all are welcome.
“Show up and wear something that is comfortable,” said Cuellar. “We are not just going to sit down and talk. We are going to get in there and show you some things. As far as physical ailments, we can work with people that have ailments of all shapes and forms. We have worked with amputees and those that have had back surgeries and hip replacements. It doesn’t matter because we can work with that. It is one of those courses where if you want to participate, great, but if you just want to watch, you are welcome to do that as well. Come and try it, if you don’t like it, great, but there is something in it for everyone.”
