Something powerful rolls in … and strikes.

Trauma-Informed
Muay Thai Kickboxing Program

Current Striking Intro Team Groups

• Sunday mornings from 10:00 am to 11:00 am

  Reserve your spot for Sunday group starting May 18. (8 spots left)

Intermediate Team Session

*Completion of intro 8-week program is required to participate.

• Sunday mornings from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

What’s Muay Thai?

Muay Thai—also called Thai boxing or kickboxing—is a striking martial art that originated in Thailand. Its techniques use combinations of fists, elbows, knees, and shins, as well as emphasizing footwork and body movement to use distance and timing to your advantage.

Trauma-Informed
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program

Current BJJ Intro Team Groups

• Sunday afternoons from 12 to 1 pm

  Reserve your spot for Sunday group starting May 4. (6 spots left)

• Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 pm

  • Reserve your spot for Wednesday evening group starting May 7. (6 spots left)

Intermediate Team Sessions

*Completion of intro 12-week program is required to participate.

• Sunday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:30 pm

• Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 pm

• Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11 am

What’s Jiu-Jitsu?

Jiu-jitsu is a grappling (ground) martial art, made popular by the Gracie family of Brazil. Called “the gentle art,” jiu-jitsu uses leverage and momentum for escapes and holds rather than relying on size and brute strength. The techniques are designed so that even people with smaller bodies or physical limitations can execute them effectively. (For more information on the transformative power of jiu-jitsu, we recommend reading Dr. Jamie Marich and Anna Pirkl’s Transforming Trauma with Jiu-Jitsu [North Atlantic Books, 2022].)

Storm Team FAQs

What are the benefits?

• Understanding your body’s own capability: Both Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai are about learning how to move your own body in protective and powerful ways. (Personally speaking, the Storm coaches never fully realized or believed in the strength we possessed until we started training.)

• Connecting mind and body: One beautiful aspect of training is that it helps practitioners to be completely present in the moment—with both your mind and your body focused on the flow of the technique. It also helps to build trust that your body can keep you safe, in a way that just talking about it can’t accomplish. You can actually feel your experience of your body changing.

• Building stress tolerance: People who practice martial arts often talk about how it helps you to get comfortable in the uncomfortable, or “embrace the suck.” On our safe mats, you’ll be able to put yourself in uncomfortable positions and then learn to breathe, think, and work through them like a puzzle. This helps to reduce panic and increase feelings of control and capableness. It’s also OK to cry, rage, or freeze here while you learn. Every one of the coaches has cried on the mats before—out of adrenaline or frustration or both. There’s no shame in our game.

• Increasing confidence in communication: The mat is a wonderful place to practice expressing how you feel, asking for what you need, and setting boundaries for yourself. For example, in BJJ, with a simple high five + fist bump, you communicate, “I’m ready. Let’s go.” And with a tap, you get an immediate stop. It’s amazing how working on these skills translates into our lives off the mat.

• Developing playfulness: Living in survival mode, full of fear and hypervigilance, it’s nearly impossible to relax enough to let ourselves have fun. But on the mat, we often laugh, joke, sing, and swear as we work our way out of uncomfortable places. Learning not only to “embrace the suck” but also to feel safe enough to play there is a huge relief.

• Being part of a team family: One of the top reasons for training is the community that comes with it. Working through techniques with your training partners creates a trusting bond like no other. We need each other to learn and grow, and we draw strength from the journey together.

Who can join The Storm?

Any person age 13 or older, who identifies as a woman, transperson, or gender nonbinary person. You do not need to identify as a trauma survivor to participate. Everyone can benefit from a trauma-informed approach to training. If you are a survivor, it’s helpful to also have a counselor while participating in this program, just for an additional level of support, but it is not required.

Do I need any experience?

Nope. We will start with the most fundamental movements and build from there.

Do I need to buy any gear?

No. Wear comfy bottoms like sweatpants or leggings and a supportive bra. When you join our team, you’ll get a t-shirt. That will be our training “uniform.” For Muay Thai, we’ll have pads and gloves you can use or until you choose to bring your own.

How much does this program cost?

It is $60 for each month of training (4-5 one-hour sessions per month) for a single sport (BJJ or MT) or $95 per month if you want to participate in both. Membership dues are paid through a recurring monthly charge that you control. You can stop anytime. If the full membership fee is a barrier to your training, contact Lauren for options.

What’s the time commitment?

We will always support your freedom of choice, and we feel very strongly about protecting that, so there is never any obligation associated with The Storm. We suggest that you complete the intro program (12 classes for BJJ and 8 for MT) to be introduced to all your foundational skills. At that point, you can continue to train with us as part of an intermediate group or you can stop.

Is this real martial arts? What will I learn?

Yes, it absolutely is. For BJJ, we’re an affiliate of Focused Fight Team, and the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu technique curriculum we use is the same that’s taught at all FFT gyms across the US. Our initial 12-week program is designed to teach you all the fundamental body movements of jiu-jitsu, as well as introduce the basic techniques required for your first “stripe”—which is the measurement of rank in a traditional jiu-jitsu gym. For Muay Thai, we’re an affiliate of the Conscious Combat Club, the birthplace of trauma-informed kickboxing. Our introductory 8-week program teaches you the basic postures, strikes, and footwork that you’d learn in any traditional gym—we just take a more mindful, inclusive approach.

The Storm doesn’t have belts or ranks, but you will earn a bracelet for every personal and team goal you meet, so you have a memento for your progress. After training with us, if you choose to eventually transition to a co-ed team in our FFT network, we will help prepare you and introduce you to your new coaches and teammates there. Or you can stick with The Storm forever. We’re cool with that too.

Ummm... It sounds interesting but I’m kinda scared.

That’s OK. Trying anything new can be intimidating, and we were scared, too, when we started. Stepping onto the mat the first time is hard, but each time you do it, your confidence will grow. Your emotional and physical safety in this program is extremely important to us, which is why The Storm is designed to be

• Intimate: Intro training groups will be limited to 6 people per session to allow for individualized attention. It’s also our hope that you will build trust and friendship with the other members of your small group.

• Consent-Based: You will NEVER be pushed or forced to participate in anything you don’t feel ready for or don’t want to do.

• Individualized: We’ll start as gently as you need to. There are plenty of things we can learn with zero physical touch involved, for example. We will also work at the pace that feels comfortable to you.

How do I join?

Send us an email to set up a consultation session. At that time, you’ll meet with Coach Lauren (BJJ) or Coach Maria (Muay Thai) to talk about your personal goals, learn more about the weekly class flow, and ask any questions you might have. When you’re ready to get started, select one of the membership options below.