Krav Mama: A self-defense class designed for new moms
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Tempe Krav Maga instructor and new mom Sara Ullenbruch-Zarezadeh has developed a postpartum version of the popular Israeli self-defense training.
- She's calling it Krav Mama.
Why it matters: Protecting yourself looks different when you have a baby in your arms or a tot by your side.
How it works: Krav Mama adapts traditional training to focus on rebuilding muscle and stamina while incorporating the new self-defense challenges that motherhood presents.
- It's broken into sections: Stretching, strength training, heavy-bag work and self-defense practice.
- Ullenbruch-Zarezadeh, who is also a physical therapist and mom to a 6-month-old, designed the fitness regimen to aid in pelvic floor recovery and restrengthen abdominal muscles that deteriorate during pregnancy.
The intrigue: You're encouraged to bring your kid with you to class.
- Not only do kids add weight to your strength training, but bringing them along mimics your new reality, Ullenbruch-Zarezadeh told us.
- Moms are often sleep deprived, distracted and short on hands. Letting your baby crawl around you, sit on your hip or hang in a baby carrier while you practice self-defense trains your brain to stay focused and improvise, she said.
My 10-month-old and I gave Krav Mama a shot last week at EVKM Self Defense & Fitness.
- I hadn't taken a workout class since before I gave birth, my self-defense training is limited, and my daughter is almost 25 pounds, so I was more than a little skeptical as to how it would go.
Yes, but: Ullenbruch-Zarezadeh patiently taught me the techniques and entertained my daughter while I got the hang of them.
- We practiced one-handed palm strikes and off-balance front kicks and simulated what to do if someone tries to grab our babies while we're holding them.
Plus: "The socialization is so important. There are 'mommy and me' classes, but it's nice to have something you can enjoy, too," said Jacinda Monsalve, who's been training with her 6-month-old daughter for two months.
My thought bubble: I couldn't agree more.
- It was a gift to work out without scrambling to find a babysitter, to compare milestones and sleep schedules between squats, and to see my daughter watch her mom prioritizing her mental and physical health.
What's next: Ullenbruch-Zarezadeh is taking Krav Mama to a national convention in June in hopes of creating a certification so other instructors can offer the program.
If you go: EVKM Self Defense & Fitness offers Krav Mama on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30pm.
- They're also hosting a free, moms-only self-defense workshop on May 16 from 1-3pm.