Spartan Training Gear’s taking a stand against bullying. Be it physical, verbal, indirect, social alienation, intimidation or cyberbullying. We’ve donated gear to several Guardian Angel Chapters throughout the US who are conducting workshops to give teens the tools they need to protect themselves. No one should be a victim.
Spartan Goddess. The world’s first personal protection training armour designed and contoured specifically for a woman.
Congratulations to my friend and coach, Scott Sonnon, on being named one of the TOP 25 Trainers in the World by Men’s Fitness Magazine. Such an incredible honor and extremely well-deserved.
Marc Joseph
President
Spartan Training Gear
Enjoy your rest Spartans.
Spartan Training Gear is honoured to announce a new corporate alliance with Richard Dimitri, one of the world’s leading authorities on hand-to-hand combat and creator of ‘The Shredder’, & Senshido International.
In the months leading up to this announcement, Spartan has already had the pleasure of providing our Hoplite Training Armour to several Senshido team members such asChristopher Roberts of SAFE International, Matthew Dyck of MFTAC and Jesse Lawn Close Quarter Combatives.
This is the first time in Senshido’s 15-year history that certified instructors and team members will have access to Combat Training Equipment that has been personally endorsed by Founder Richard Dimitri.
“I’ve never been a fan of ‘training suits’ really, for the simple reason that for the last 17+ years of working worldwide with clients like the British SAS to International Women’s Movements, I’ve always found better, less expensive substitutes, so I couldn’t justify the cost when the home-made stuff we were using worked just as well. However, that was until the new SPARTAN GEAR came around. The HOPLITE TRAINING ARMOUR is, in my most humble of opinions, better than any other gear I have seen or used in my career as well as the most affordable for the amazing quality. I honestly couldn’t recommend them more.” ~ Rich Dimitri, Senshido International
This new partnership will also have huge benefits for Senshido affiliates worldwide.Active, certified and affiliate Senshido instructors will be receiving complete details on the program in the private Senshido forums shortly.
We’d like to welcome all members of the Senshido community to The Spartan Army. We look forward to a long friendship and a prosperous relationship.
By Susan Pigg of the Toronto Star
Pauline Shea grapples with self-defence instructor Chris Roberts at a course in “preventative skills” aimed at seniors.
It takes just a split second for 74-year-old Anne Lappin to kick into attack mode as the muscular man grabs her from behind.
Her teeth are bared and she’s flailing so forcefully that he soon backs away. Then she steps forward to whack him one more time.
“That was the surprise element,” Lappin says later with a laugh. “I think maybe my basic survival instinct was coming through.”
The outburst has left self-defence instructor Chris Roberts shaking his head in shock.
“You wouldn’t do that in real life, right, come back at an attacker like that?” he asks Lappin.
“No,” the elderly woman says. “I’d run.”
After teaching self-defence to more than 100,000 high-school students over the past 16 years, Roberts, 46, is now taking on a completely different crowd: seniors.
The instructor for SAFE International is offering what he calls the “preventative skills” of self-defence through a few community centres in Toronto.
Although Roberts comes well protected — the final two weeks of the four-week sessions include a little physical interaction — the program is really more about using your brains rather than your brawn.
He stresses avoidance strategies first to protect against potential attackers: walking with confidence, trusting your intuition, not being too polite and always being aware of what’s happening around you.
“Seniors are a vulnerable age group. They’re very limited in what they can do physically, but most attackers are cowards,” says Roberts. “Just by looking at them, making eye contact, you’ve made them know that you’ve seen them and you might start yelling and attracting attention.”
The biggest mistake many seniors make is being too nice, says Roberts. Even if they feel unsafe in an elevator or wary of someone edging in too close for comfort, they tend to be too polite to ask the person to back off or walk away.
In fact, seniors tend to downplay their own fears: One woman at a recent session in North Toronto confessed she knew she was taking a risk walking home through a back alley, but was more afraid of the alternative, the bustling crowds of Yonge St. who might knock her cane and throw her off her feet.
“The most important factor is intuition,” says Roberts. “When you get that gut feeling that something isn’t right or feels unsafe, find the quickest exit out of the scenario. Don’t question your intuition. It is your sixth sense.”
Body language is key, he says. “Attackers look for people who they perceive to be easy victims … so walking with purpose and keeping your head up is an easy way to display positive body language.”
Asking for directions or the time are popular ways to distract a senior because they tend to turn their back to show the way or put their head down to look at their watch, Roberts warns.
Bank machines can also leave seniors vulnerable, he says. He advises women to withdraw only small amounts of cash, always during daylight and, if possible, when a friend is along.
If the attack is simply about money or valuables, Roberts says it’s best just to hand them over rather than risk getting hurt.
But he arms seniors with a few self-defence tricks, such as grabbing at soft-tissue areas (the eyes and face), to throw the attacker off and give you time to break away.
Sherri Bulmer, coordinator of older adult programs at the Central Eglinton Community Centre on Eglinton Ave. E., asked Roberts to teach the program after seeing a senior seriously hurt by a purse snatcher outside an east-end centre where she used to work.
She was surprised to see the group actually grow over the four weeks as the women — the average age was 77 — raved to friends about the program.
“I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be,” says Bulmer. “But I can see now that this is about power and control.”
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To ensure the safety of both instructors and students, SAFE International, exclusively uses the Hoplite Training Armour by Spartan Training Gear in all its classes and personal protection programs.
You can learn more about Spartan on their site: http://www.spartantraininggear.com/
Follow Spartan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpartanTrainingGear
Spartan Training Gear‘s corporate allies, Dynamis Training and The Functional Edge System are teaming up for the first time to offer a BTEC Level 3 Advanced Award in Self Defence Instruction Program in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 27-29, 2011
Not only is this class the first of its kind, but this will also be the first UK-based advanced instructor program to prominently feature Spartan’s Hoplite Training Armour during scenario evolutions and drills.
For complete details on this class including venue, cost and registration please follow the link below.
http://www.dynamis-insight.com/Self_Defence_Instructor.html
For more info on The Functional Edge System: http://www.functionaledgemma.com/edge-system.php
This course is suitable for:
Self Defence Instructor Award
To successfully pass this course you will need to complete the following five learning outcomes. To assist you, you will be provided with and signposted to all of the resource material you require. These will include: Fact-sheets, e-books and online video resources.
1. The Law in Relation to Self Defence and Personal Protection
UK common and statute law that relate to the use of physical force for the purpose of self-defence. The meaning of ‘Reasonable Force’ with reference to Section 3(1) of The Criminal Law Act 1967, Section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 and Article 2 of the Human Rights Act 1998.
2. Health & Safety Legislation for running Self-Defence Training Courses
The various elements of Health and Safety statute and associated Health and Safety regulations that relate to the use of running physical skills training courses and instructing physical technique, including the ‘common-law duty of care’ and ‘Tort’ with regard to Negligence, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, sections 2, 3, 7, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Regulation 3.
3. The Workings of the Primitive Stress Response
Understand the effect of the primitive fight and flight response and associated fear response mechanisms on physical, emotional and behavioural state, including what is meant by ‘hyper-vigilance’ and understanding what physical changes take place when the primitive flight and fight response is triggered.
4. The Science and Psychology of Combat
Definition of skill, the relationship between arousal, stress and performance and the relationship between heart rate and performance. References to: Hick’s Law, Guthrie’s Law, Yerkes-Dobson’s Law, Heart-Rate and Performance, Stress and Performance, Decision Making and Anxiety and Arousal and Reaction Time and Decision Making.
5. Self-Defence / Unarmed Defensive Tactics
Demonstrate physical skills techniques consistent with the rights of defence and self-defence consistent with Reasonable Force and Article 2 of the Human Rights Act 1998, and which will be designed to work in situations of high emotional distress consistent with an understanding of the Primitive Stress Response and the Science & Psychology of Personal Combat.
Don’t miss this opportunity.
SPARTANS! PREPARE FOR GLORY!
Spartan Training Gear, in conjunction with Scott Sonnon and TACFIT, are offering up the ultimate warrior prize package in the TACFIT Spartan Challenge ‘Earn You Armour’ Contest.
HERE’S HOW TO ENTER
Step 1 – The Challenge: First, you will need to have downloaded or have access to the TACFIT Spartan Challenge. Once you’ve got that, you must then complete the Challenge exactly as prescribed on the Intermediate or Advanced Level (details below).
But there’s a catch. Simply being able to ‘Defeat the Beast’ isn’t enough. You have to be one of the first 10 entries submitted following the launch of the contest. Those entries are then eligible for participation in the contest and judging. The winner will be the person who not only scores the 30 points, but also has the best form, technique and the cleanest reps in the eyes of Coach Sonnon and his team of judges.
So, while time is of the essence, don’t sacrifice quantity for quality.
Here’s the Spartan Challenge as prescribed, on both difficulties:
Intermediate Level
2 reps per side (right/left) – Dive Rolls
2 reps per side (right/left) – Base Switches
2 reps – Tadpole Sprawls
Advanced Level
3 reps per side (right/left) – Dive Rolls
3 reps per side (right/left) – Base Switches
3 reps – Tadpole Sprawls
Step 2 – The Proof: We’re going to need proof that you pulled this off. So, you must film yourself doing the Challenge. Every second of it. EXCEPT for the warmup and cooldown. All we want to see is the actual challenge itself. No editing, no fancy music. Just you, your inner warrior and the camera.
Upon completion, the complete video must be uploaded to our private group on Veoh.
Here are the exact steps to follow:
a. Sign up for a free account at www.veoh.com
b. Upload your Spartan Challenge video in its raw, unedited format. Don’t worry, the size and length of your video will not be an issue.
c. Title your uploaded video ‘TACFIT Spartan Challenge: Earning My Armor’.
d. Then, go to the following link http://www.veoh.com/list/c/earn-your-armour-contest and join the ‘Earn Your Armour’ Contest group.
e. Return to your profile and add the newly uploaded video to this group.
f. Send an email to Marc Joseph at marc@spartantg.com to confirm the time and date of your successful upload.
The TACFIT Spartan Challenge ‘Earn You Armour’ Contest starts NOW!! Entries must be submitted NO LATER THAN Wednesday, June 1st at midnight EST. But remember, only the first 10 entries are eligible.
Step 3 – The Payoff: Here’s what the winning Spartan receives:
1 x Hoplite Training Armour Vest (in the color of your choice)
1 x Hoplite Training Armour Helmet
1 x Spartan Training Gear ‘Revenge’ T-Shirt
1 x exclusive TACFIT ‘WINGS’ pin (Normally recipients of this prestigious pin must ‘bleed’ on first pinning, but Coach Sonnon is nonetheless extending this honor to the victor of this contest)
To insure maximum participation in this contest, we’re going to have a stipulation available to the winner. The winner can, should he or she choose, donate his ‘Armour’ to another deserving individual. For example, should the person who wins not actively participate in martial arts or another form of tactical training, you will have the option to donate the Hoplite Vest and Helmet to a colleague, friend, police officer or soldier. This way, everyone has a reason to fight for the title.
WHO DARES WINS!
Dare to better yourself. Dare to win. Dare to take the Spartan Challenge and Earn Your Armour!
Legal Stuff:
May 14th, 2011: Scott Sonnon of RMAX International and TACFIT launches the first ever TACFIT Spartan Challenge.
Do you have what it takes to complete the challenge and ‘Defeat the Beast’? Are you ready to earn the title ‘Spartan’? Will you survive 30 gut-wrenching minutes? Can you do it? We’re about to find out.
Here’s a description of the challenge itself in Scott’s own words:
“The TACFIT Spartan Challenge is a bodyweight-only workout which moves the body through its full range of motion. This isn’t one dimensional exercises which can only be performed on machines costing tens of thousands of dollars. You can perform this anywhere, anytime.
Download your FREE TACFIT Spartan Challenge book and videos, for the next 3 days ONLY (May 14th-16th, 2011): http://tacticalgymnastics.com/join_tg.html
At the above link you will be able to get your
As I’ve traveled the globe training with the greatest teachers in their respective disciplines, the most effective fitness methods answered: What are you fit for? Are you fit for your life? Are you fit to move through all environments you need to, navigating any obstacle, hazard or challenge with ease and imagination? That’s how the men and women I train define fitness.
Now, you don’t need to be an ultimate fighter or an elite commando in order to take the challenge. I’ve also provided a basic level progression, so that anyone, even if you haven’t done any bodyweight exercise since elementary grade school, can perform.
And that’s really what I wanted to showcase for you with this free book and video: that given sufficiently incremental enough of a baby step, anyone can develop the fitness levels they dream of. Dreams don’t appear from thin air. There’s work to be done. But intelligent progression creates the opportunity for errorless development.
My goal has always been to provide other people like myself who need to exploit all of the training technologies possible to succeed, what I’ve culled from the great teachers I’ve had the honor of studying with around the globe.
Sure, you could do the same as I have and travel around, finding the greatest coaches possible, memorizing their contributions, dissecting their teachings, and through years of trial and error develop a concise, no-fluff method for maximizing the results and minimizing the derails, but I hope, with this upcoming release of Tactical Gymnastics, that you will no longer feel that the only way for you to succeed is if you would do so.
Listen, I could certainly keep my discoveries to myself. I make a great living teaching my units, teams and agencies. And it’s an incredible honor to do so. But I believe everyone should have access to these discoveries. Insights kept are wasted. And the insights my teachers have given me feel like uncontainable abundance. Okay, that’s a bit too hippie a concept for some, but my experience has been that I have a duty to share what I’ve learned, to honor my teachers as much as to have the privilege of providing others with the highest quality technologies possible. So, I can’t really contain this.
Grab your copy of my free book and video, and I’ll let you know about the free full deluxe packages of Tactical Gymnastics that I’m going to give away in a few days.
—-> Get your free book and video here! http://tacticalgymnastics.com/join_tg.html
V/R,
Scott Sonnon
Chief Operations Officer
RMAX International
www.RMAXInternational.com”
To coincide with the launch of the TACFIT Spartan Challenge, Spartan Training Gear is running a promotion of epic proportions. NOW through MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY, MAY 17th, you can order our Hoplite Training Armour Basic for $900USD (plus shipping). That’s $300 OFF the retail price. And to really make this offer irresistible, your price of $900 includes a FREE Spartan Training Gear Duffle Bag AND a ‘Revenge’ T-Shirt.
This exclusive offer also extends to our Hoplite Training Armour Elite which can be purchased for $1000USD (plus shipping) and also comes with the FREE Spartan Training Gear Duffle AND ‘Revenge’ T.
Don’t miss this opportunity. Download the *FREE* TACFIT Spartan Challenge and get your new Hoplite Training Armour NOW!!
To order simply email: marc@spartantg.com
Spartan Training Gear™ is pleased to announce its newest alliance and sponsored school, Pro-Active Safety Systems and Bailey’s Karate. Both Pro-Active and Bailey’s are owned and operated by Tom Arcuri.
Here’s a quick bio on Tom:
Tom Arcuri’s training in self-defense, safety and confrontation management training began in 1981. A well-known and respected coach and innovator in the field of personal safety for over 20 years his extensive experience includes multiple certifications in relevant disciplines including Behavioral Management.
His philosophy is summed up in the name of the system “Pro” for professional, “Active” predicting and actively addressing the “Safety” concerns of the group or individual in question so that future encounters are “Systematically” handled effectively, efficiently and as safely as possible.
Tom has conducted thousands of hours of personal safety training (locally, nationally and internationally) including hundreds of seminars for general audiences, as well as, law enforcement and other specialized groups.
More on Pro-Active Safety Systems:
The Pro-Active Safety System is the culmination of 30 years of study, training and teaching it’s a holistic approach to confrontation management, personal safety, tactical training and personal development.
P.A.S.S. training is based on the built in human behavioral responses in the critical initial moments of survival stress scenarios.
Prior to the announcement of Spartan Training Gear’s alliance with Pro-Active Safety Systems and Bailey’s, we provided Tom and his staff with some Hoplite Training Armour to test out. Here is Tom’s testimonial:
“After 30 years of competing, training and teaching, and (since 1989) hundreds of hours of training and teaching in gear of all types, I can say with some authority that any martial athlete or combatives program will dramatically benefit from incorporating gear in their programs. It is the only way to safely experience the level of realism necessary to pressure check training methods, curriculum or tactics.
My staff and I have had the opportunity to thoroughly test Hoplite Training Armour by Spartan Training Gear, and we all agree that it is the finest suit of it’s kind in the world. Having used the High Gear suit exclusively for nine years I can say with confidence that Spartan’s suit is clearly a step up from an already good product. The Hoplite has significant modifications and improvements, with fit and finish that is the best that I have seen.
I am actively using it in my programs and fully endorse it!”
We’re very excited to welcome Tom, P.A.S.S. & Bailey’s into The Spartan Army.
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