ABOUT
I’m Rachel Honeyman, a martial artist whose primary martial passion is teaching women’s self-defense. I’ve dedicated countless hours of my life to studying a wide range of martial arts with one primary goal: to keep myself safe out in the real world, and to empower other women to do the same.
MY CREDENTIALS
Let’s get the boring stuff out of the way… 😉
Began martial arts training in 2015
Currently a 3-stripe purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for the Street (Burton Richardson’s self-defense oriented system of training) under retired NYPD Detective and BJJ black belt, Israel Cruz
Additional training under Israel Cruz in Filipino Martial Arts, Jeet Kune Do, and Silat
Previously trained under former SWAT sergeant Kendrick Stephens, of blessed memory, in BJJ, Muay Thai, and Lethwei
My other incredible teachers over the years have included Jarlo Ilano, Burton Richardson, Manny Soares, Jorge Santiago, Kelly Beringson, Dr. Mark Cheng, Mike Maher, and others. I am grateful for all of them.
Self-defense training includes a combination of grappling, striking, weapons defense, weapons manipulation, and realistic self-defense techniques
Have taught self-defense to dozens of women and girls to date
Why Do I Do This?
The first question I usually get when I tell people about this “unusual” hobby of mine is, “why on earth would you do that?” While many people have hobbies like knitting or Zumba, I spend 8-10 hours most weeks simulating fighting for my life, often against guys 50+ pounds heavier than me. Here’s my story.
In 2014, I was loading groceries into my car in a Whole Foods parking lot when I turned around and realized I was facing every woman’s worst nightmare. A man had followed me back to my car and was getting closer. I was cornered and had no clue what to do.
By some miracle, I got myself to the driver’s seat and was able to lock the doors and put my car into drive before this man could grab me. I sped home, probably running countless red lights in my panicked need to get to safety.
Knowing what I know now, that man probably wasn’t committed to hurting me; if he had, I can’t imagine I would have gotten away. I had no skills or tools to keep myself from getting kidnapped, raped, or murdered if that man had been ready to attack me. But no “good” guy would follow a woman to her car at any time of day, let alone at night. So, I got lucky he wasn’t intent on doing me serious harm.
That experience opened my eyes to just how vulnerable I was, and about a year later, I started my training as a martial artist. Since then, I’ve been committed to learning how to defend myself and teaching other women to do the same.
My Approach
I take a hands-on, individualized approach to teaching. Whether you’re taking a private lesson or a group class with me, I don’t take it lightly that you’re entrusting me with teaching you these skills. I ensure everyone taking my classes feels safe and comfortable (I’ll never have you practice a technique that makes you uncomfortable!), while bringing as much fun and humor as I can to a very serious topic.
Everything centers around the 3 E’s of self-defense: Evade, Escape, and Engage.