MATTHEW HILLEBRAND
Certified Krav Maga Coach
BSc Geoscience.
Post Graduate Certificate in Education.
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Matthew has always had a passion for teaching and for helping people, he has also always enjoyed sport and anything athletic. So when he accidentally discovered Krav Maga and started to train under Ivana Ries' instruction, a whole new world of self defense and martial arts opened up to him. Having never done any martial arts before, Matthew quickly developed a passion for self defense and realized that he had a God-given ability for learning different martial art styles.
2017: Instead of the usual 2 years required to do the first 2 belts, Matthew completed his Yellow and Orange belts, at the same time, after 6 months of training.
2018: 6 months later he completed his Green and Blue belt at the same time again. It was at this point that Matthew knew that he wanted to teach self defense and become a Krav Maga instructor.
2021: After years of training and helping out at the gym, Matthew was awarded his Brown Belt in Krav Maga and his Level 1 Krav Maga Instructor Certification.
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He is now teaching classes when Ivana needs him to. Matthew's love for sport and his passion for teaching and helping people have made him a great instructor and very helpful around the gym. He has valuable insights into common mistakes that people make in their techniques and talks the students through their mistakes and how to fix them. The kids love having Matthew teach them.
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Matthew's favourite quote about self defense is this: "If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore what he must be taught to fear is his victim." - Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper Let us first note that this quote speaks about violent crime. I am all for handing over belongings in the case of theft so that my life and the lives of those around me are in no danger. But at a certain point, fighting may become necessary.
At Storm Combat you will learn to deal with armed and unarmed attackers, you will learn how to do various martial arts such as boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, Filippino Martial Arts and more. But arguably the most important thing you will learn is how to be aware. Now you may be thinking that you are already a very cautious person and aware of your surroundings, but this is probably not the same thing. This awareness is about spotting situations before they happen, finding escape routes or figuring out a response if the situation were to escalate.
The best form of self defense, is not being there in the first place. These are all things that you will learn at Storm Combat, at our amazing gym and with a great family of students." - Matthew Hillebrand