UPDATE 26th May: We are going to give this program a red-hot go! Early Bird in place until 30th June, this session will run 10am Saturdays (instead of 930am) from 31st July. More info and enrolment here!
We have a new idea for our Adventure Program, but before you freak out at the words “Hapkido”, and “martial arts”, i want you to understand a few things…
You guys know us well enough to know two things:
- we like to challenge you physically and mentally
- we will do our utmost to keep your body safe even while we are challenging you physically and mentally.
Our first surfing group, over 4 years ago, had 4 participants. FOUR. 4 brave, courageous mums, with NFI (that stands for “no f*king idea”… FYI… which stands for “for your information”). They got hammered every week, and every week they showed up again. Our next Surfing Group had 5, the year after 8 participants, and this year we had 11. Some of the group are even grandma’s!
The reason i am going on and on about Surfing Group is because it was the first time we really went OUT THERE in our adventure program – beyond bushwalking and bootcamps – to challenge your physically AND mentally. As each year’s group ended, there were more people inspired to give it a go from what they saw.
Our surfing group had mums, men, and grandma’s! We had surfers on fibreglass boards, foamies, kneeboards, and body boards… anyone can learn a new skill.
So with that in mind, i would like to introduce you to my newest hare-brained idea – one that is surprisingly excellent for your core strength, pelvic mobility, fierceness, resilience, and confidence.
Starting Saturday 31st July, at 930am, for 12wks, for a 60min session each week. Unfortunately it would clash with our Hiking Groupies, so is just for the men and mums who want a solid fitness + life skills session for an hour! The session would involve real boxing, kicking, and self defence techniques! There is some fitness, don’t worry, your body will feel it, but the main benefit will be the new movements through your pelvis, the shock absorption through your core, and your concentration in your head – it’s a form of mindfulness that will refresh you mentally, ready for the weekend!
i am not the only mum to do Hapkido! There’s a bunch of us!
Hapkido is great for pelvic mobility; because the kicks are dynamic, they get your legs moving in the pelvic joints in a new variety of ways – this is awesome if you have perineal or abdominal scars, because the tissues are lightly loaded and have to co-ordinate across the scar itself. This develops the neural connections across the body, and across the scars, in new ways – promoting healing and improvements.
Learning to hit and kick properly; is brilliant for releasing frustration, but without hurting yourself. Hitting “properly” is a powerful technique, and it is FUN to hear the slap on the bag when you get a good one, particularly if you don’t hurt yourself at the same time. Boxing itself is excellent fitness; it is pelvic floor safe, but can be hard on a diastasis – so make sure we know if you have abdominal separation!
Learning some life-saving escape techniques; is for resilience and confidence. The idea is to empower you with real skills that you can use in the real world. If anyone grabs you on the wrist, around the neck, or from behind – we can teach you how to respond!
The skills we will teach you include using an attackers energy to put them down. This means you can be grabbed by someone larger and stronger than you, and still be able to escape.
The instructor, Alena Turley, has used her skills to escape an attempted abduction and domestic abuse –
more on her story here. She’s one grading off a Black Belt, spiritual, mindful, kind and fierce all at the same time. Alena is sensitive to your needs, and passionate about Hapkido and being empowered with the tools to keep ourselves safe and in control of our own lives.
Teenage girls would be welcome, too! It would cost $197 and include a 3-session pass to Northern Beaches Hapkido (optional), where you can take your training further if you love the sessions! Comment below, or take part in our poll in
The Life Enhancement Project to register your interest!
The women’s class i do on a Wednesday at 930am often has teenage girls and children training alongside their mums, just like we do in our IntoMum sessions!
If you’re on the fence, here’s my advice: BE BRAVE. Like those surfing mamas – we didn’t have the hip flexibility, the core strength, or the skills to surf when we started, and no one is expecting you to turn up ready to take on a street gang! This is an opportunity for YOU – not some mythical “can do everything” mum – YOU. Just as you are, with your scars, your sore back, your lack of confidence, we will look after you!
Two of our body-boarding surfing groupies – they were brave to try something new, and hadn’t been out in the ocean for 10-20 YEARS!! They don’t regret a moment, either.
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