Christine Bannon-Rodrigues and I grew up in the same town in Rhode Island and went to the same high school just couple of years apart. Small world, right? I'm sure she didn't know then that she would be a martial art world champion one day, nor did I know that I would interview her on my martial art podcast, but here we are. Christine is a world champion many times over and runs a school with her husband in Warwick, R.I. She has been on too many magazine covers to mention, as well as Halls of Fame, trading cards, and in television and film. She has been a product designer, model and spokesperson for Macho Products for over 20 years. You will be inspired by her desire to set and achieve her martial art goals and how she brings a martial art focus into her life every day. Enjoy! 

Christine's Links & Info: 

Andrea's Links & Info: 

Pat Williams is a positive martial art warrior. She is a 10th degree black belt who began training in the 1960's. Many know and love her for her  positive daily Facebook posts. Although she has been in a wheelchair for 4 to 5 years because of her knees, she continues to train and teach. She practices martial art techniques from a wheelchair perspective. She says, "This wheelchair does not stop me." Pat shares about life as a martial art woman in the 1960's, her sparring competitions, and her love for teaching children. For her, awards and accolades signify her effort, love and respect in martial arts. Prior to retirement, Pat was a city bus driver and experienced a few situations when martial art training helped. For instance, she has once hit in the head with a bottle, but fortunately, she turned her head in such a way that the blow to the head did not kill her. Pat believes more women train today because of assaults or attempted kidnappings. Her advice to women who want to learn a martial art is: visualize yourself learning different styles; ask questions; go to seminars where you can sample a wide variety of martial art styles; and find a good school in your area. 

Pat Williams Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.williams.79069

Today's sponsor: Snake Fist Karate Federation

Links: Enter code VIPER at the SFKF video program page for 20% when you buy all. First 100 only.   https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sfkf SFKF   https://thomasgdaw.wixsite.com/sfkf  SFKF video program   https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sfkf

Andrea's motivational books: 

Overcoming incapacitating medical issues and a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of her doctor, Bethany June Dillon perseveres through the strength of her Native American heritage and culture. She creates Native American jewelry and weaponry and researches and writes about Native American warfare (she has authored two books on this topic). She is beginning a new magazine that delves into others' achievements, and explores scientific discoveries and Native American issues. In this podcast, she shares about the various interesting martial arts she has practiced and how they impact her life. She is recuperating from several physical issues, but plans to return to martial arts once healed. For Bethany, martial arts are important for women because they provide both mental responsibility and strength. She explains that, in many ways, martial arts are like a "tribe" where martial artists work together to lift each other up.

Listen to this fascinating woman who shares her talents and her struggles, yet somehow, leaves us all with a sense that everything will work out if we take one day at a time.

LINKS & INFO: 

Bethany's Links & Info: 

Bethany's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bethany.dillon.90/

Bethany's books: 

War-Torn: A Look at Warfare in North America Before European Influence:  https://www.amazon.com/War-Torn-Warfare-America-European-Influence/dp/1547229462

War-Torn: The Arrival:  https://www.amazon.com/War-Torn-Arrival-Bethany-Dillon/dp/1074360907

Andrea's books: 

*Some disturbing stories are shared in this episode* Today's show is a little different in that it does not focus on a martial art woman, but rather effective self-defense for women. Tiffany Richards of Peaceful Warrior Women's Self-Defense guides us through the reasons why most women students prefer a woman self-defense instructor; how she overcame her own physically abusive situation in her twenties (even during a time when she practiced martial arts); truthful stories of other women who faced devastating assault situations; reporting incidents to the police; relevant statistics; why men never feel the way a woman does when deciding where to walk or park alone; and why her self-defense instruction is emotional and relatable to women. All of her techniques are "pressure tested" to ensure they work in real situations. Tiffany has been on television, news and other media sharing her self-defense information and strategies. Don't miss this important topic. 

You can also check out Tiffany's prior interview about her life as a martial art woman on an earlier episode in this podcast. 

Tiffany's Links & Info 

Websites:

Andrea's inspirational books and links: 

The Martial Arts Woman: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman…/dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations…/dp/150297830X

https://www.facebook.com/themartialartswomanpodcast/

http://www.themartialartswoman.com

https://www.facebook.com/andrea.harkins.75

https://www.linkedin.com/in/themartialartswoman

https://twitter.com/aharkins1

https://www.instagram.com/themartialartswoman

Meet Rebecca Durr Moffett, an ambitious Judo practitioner who practices transcendental meditation and has worked in a battered women's shelter for more than 30 years. She also earned a master's degree in Public Administration while working. Rebecca refers to herself as an ordinary martial artist and in many ways, I understand. I, too, am the every day type ordinary martial artist who pushes and plods along in practice, but with high ambition and anticipation. Still, after talking to Rebecca I realized that she is far from ordinary. Enjoy her interview and be inspired! Read more about Rebecca here: www.themartialartswoman.com. 

Links & Info:

https://www.thehotline.org/  - National Domestic Violence Hotline

https://championsjudo.com/ - Rebecca's martial art club, Champions Judo

Andrea's Books & Resources: 

The Martial Arts Woman: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman…/dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations…/dp/150297830X

The Martial Arts Woman Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrea-harkins

Lynn Varghese was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2003. After three surgeries and a shunt, it was found to be benign. In 2012, she began training martial arts in her basement for a full year before finally joining a martial art class. She is a devoted wife & mother as well as an energetic and determined martial art woman and instructor. Listen in to her inspiring story about overcoming her brain tumor and why she began her martial art journey.

Read Lynn's bio and more information here: www.themartialartswoman.com 

Lynn's Links: 

Kali Academy- https://www.kaliacademystl.com/

MKG - https://www.mnkali.com/

MKG International Zoom Classes - https://www.mkguniversity.com/courses/live-mkg-international-class?fbclid=IwAR29oh4mJg629-43TSpnEogtfur95pnuIODna-MSvgxDdhLD7ySr13_pS74

Andrea's Links:

The Martial Arts Woman book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman…/dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations…/dp/150297830X 

Today I have the honor of presenting probably one of the most compelling interviews of a woman whose life is filled with ups and downs but who seems to conquer all, Fran Charlton of Sweden.

Fran's interview is compelling. She will capture you with her beautiful story-telling and captivating personality. She was born into a family of creative individuals; however, her childhood was riddled with trauma, drama and abuse in her family. She heard the abuse her mother endured and some of these sounds she can never forget. But her mother turned to karate and learned enough to protect herself against her abuser. She then suggested that Fran learn karate and Fran has never looked back. Fran discusses her extreme competition regiment and malnutrition, her long track to get to university, an unplanned pregnancy, and she talks about the effect of long term or chronic injuries on health and life. She shares about her hip surgery from which she recovered at a rapid pace. Her styles include karate, Aikido and Kung Fu. She delves into why women stop practicing martial arts. She opened a karate clinic with an open communication concept, a sports and injury clinic, and her new Budo Mindset program that provides tools for a better mindset as well as creating a physical tracker to assist in creating a unique program for individual needs.

Go here to read more about Fran's story: www.themartialartswoman.com 

Kristy Hitchens talks about how and why she founded the Pink Belt project in Australia, a  martial art scholarship for women in need, especially victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. A journalist and media officer by trade, and a blogger on the side, Kristy has a sprite enthusiasm about martial arts and makes a positive difference as a martial art woman. She is a Taekwondo black belt, karate student, and also a wife and mother. In this interview she shares insights on why martial arts are important for women, why being a beginner is a good thing, how she overcame a physical injury to take her black belt test, and why failing is a step on the ladder to success.

I’m sure her interview will inspire you to be the best that you can be and strive to make a positive difference in the world, too.

For more information and Kristy's bio, click here: www.themartialartswoman.com 

This lighthearted and laughter-filled interview matches Lady's personality perfectly. Listen in as she shares about martial arts, movies, holistic health, writing and even belly dancing! She also provides insights about online teaching and what advice she would give to a woman interested in learning martial arts. 

Links & Info:

Lady's School & Website:

https://www.reedsactivemartialarts.com/

http://ladylallainereed.com/

Andrea's Motivational Books:

The Martial Arts Woman book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman…/dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations…/dp/150297830X 

Penny Pitassi is a multi- martial art school owner and an active shooter training trainer. She began martial art training in 1989 and holds rank in several different martial art systems. She worked in the Air Force as a B52 crew chief (only 2 of the 400 in this position were women!) then later became an Air Force Historian and part of the Honor Guard. Seven months before retiring from the Air Force in 2007, and with several years of martial art experience under her belt, Penny began her 1st martial art school which she eventually grew into four successful schools. In this interview, she shares insights on how to grow your school; why teaching character development is a necessity; teaching martial arts to your own children; how she finds success teaching martial arts in PE programs in private schools; and how and why she became involved in learning and teaching an active shooter program. This is a podcast full of interesting and valuable information from a very interesting and motivated martial art woman. 

Links & Info: 

Penny's Links: https://www.facebook.com/3TKarate.SanAntonio

https://www.facebook.com/agroupofmistakescalledlife/

Andrea's Motivational books: 

The Martial Arts Woman book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman…/dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations…/dp/150297830X