Maria Thomas

Instructor of Self Defense Theory and Fitness, Level 2 Self Defense Theory and Fitness

Hello! My name is Maria Thomas. I’ve been a martial arts instructor for over a decade, and the longer I teach the more convinced I become that, on the larger scale, preventing violence must be done by changing the way people think: about consent, about confidence, about entitlement, and about respect. As a smaller queer woman who grew up chronically ill, I’ve learned first-hand how a better understanding of (and relationship with) our physical selves can foster the confidence needed to maintain the personal boundaries necessary for personal self-defense. And, in a culture that puts a heavy emphasis on being the baddest and the best, learning to control instinctive reactions to stress and focus on de-escalation rather than “winning” is a paradigm shift that can echo through interpersonal conflict. I look forward to offering students tools which can help them control adrenaline that might otherwise escalate a situation, and then tap into that adrenaline if they actually need it in a physical situation.