Hi I’m Maria,

I started my journey after having my second child as a way to get back in shape. Like so many others, I had zero martial arts experience beforehand. I’ve learned much over the past 11 years from training in Krav Maga and Jiujitsu. And now, I’ve dedicated my life to helping others learn to protect themselves and their family better.

My Journey

The first time I walked into the Krav Maga training center in the Bay Area I was a bit intimidated. I had just had my second child 8 months ago and was nowhere close to being in shape like the others already training. Then when they began grappling, and I saw just how close they were, I thought, yeah, I won’t be rolling around with other people (mostly all guys) anytime soon! But I took it one day at a time, I learned at my own pace.

Since that first, scary day of stepping into the training gym, I’ve had some incredible experiences. I’ve had the chance to meet and train with MMA Champion Cris Cyborg, I trained with Alexis Davis prior to her fight with Ronda Rousey, and have met so many other skilled Krav and jiu-jitsu members that I now call family.

Women Teaching Women

I’ve learned much over the past years. One of the key takeaways is that there are not enough women teaching women. It’s one thing to learn a skill, but it’s another thing to see it working for someone who’s not 6 feet tall and 200lbs. So I created our Female Weapon line of training where we have women teaching so those looking to learn can feel more comfortable training. There’s no room for self consciousness when you’re fighting for your life. We want to help you gain confidence as quickly as possible.

Beyond the Mat

Another key take away from my years of training is that self protection isn’t all about the physical skills, it begins with smart decision making. Many martial arts training overlook the mental skills that will help prevent a physical encounter in the first place. At KSP we share incidents that have occurred and how we can do a better job at making sure we do not find ourselves in the same situation. Be sure to look out for new videos on our YouTube channel as we break down scenarios and how to be better prepared.

I look forward to helping you begin your journey…