Navigating the World of Martial Arts and Self-Defense: Insights from Instructor Christun Erwin and the Journey to a 'White Belt Foreva' Mindset
In this engaging episode, we are thrilled to have Christun Erwin of Healthy Buffalo join us to share her journey in martial arts, self-defense, and her experiences training and teaching. Listen in as she discusses the importance of foundations and the concept of 'white belt foreva,' a phrase Christun uses to remind herself to remain humble and always learn. Discover how she runs her business, Healthy Buffalo, which focuses on boundaries and awareness, as well as the seminars she leads for women.
We also explore the misconceptions about martial arts and self-defense and the difference between sport and reality-based martial arts. Christun shares her insights on the importance of size in self-defense and why it's crucial to provide a reality check for people. We discuss the freeze response and the drills used to demonstrate the power of size. Additionally, we cover the differences between teaching men and women and how to encourage women to get in and mix it up.
Christun also shares her experiences with teaching martial arts and setting boundaries, the importance of goal setting, and her thoughts on keeping kids safe. She emphasizes the significance of situational awareness and we discuss concept of the surprise attack, as well as the red flags to look for when choosing a martial arts school. Don't miss out on this valuable conversation filled with her unique perspective and valuable insights on martial arts, self-defense, and teaching.
EPISODE CHAPTERS
(0:00:00) - Martial Arts Training and Teaching
(0:10:27) - Martial Arts and Self-Defense Truths
(0:19:58) - Firearm and Knife Training Gender Differences
(0:24:27) - Women in Martial Arts and Trauma
(0:30:34) - Choosing a Martial Arts Instructor
(0:41:40) - Teaching Martial Arts and Setting Boundaries
(0:48:55) - Keeping Kids Safe
(0:58:34) - Self-Defense, Situational Awareness, and Karate Training
(1:04:48) - Martial Arts and Red Flags
(1:10:27) - Effective Instructors and Learning From Others
About Christun Erwin
https://www.instagram.com/healthy.buffalo/
Christun is a mom to nine children and was a foster parent for a decade to over 35 kids, mostly teen girls. With the background of foster care and understanding the cyclical nature of abuse, she has a passion for self-defense and recognizes through research that the physical safety of a person starts much sooner than a physical attack.
She has spent the last few years, in relation to her martial arts training, studying the body’s response to trauma and learning how to better understand and combat our fear responses. She started the Healthy Buffalo Project in 2019 as a blog, resource, and encouragement for women to make steps towards their own personal safety and the safety of their family. Having six daughters, she has a huge desire to build up in women an awareness of the environment around themselves, an awareness of self, and an awareness of action when needed, not a false sense of security.
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