Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Becerra.
Hi Steven, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey in martial arts and self-defense began when I was very young. In fact, it was so long ago that I can’t even remember my first lesson. My very first instructor actually became one of my greatest influences. To this day, I still catch myself using the same jokes or utilizing the same teaching strategies as Grandmaster Mel Steiner of Miami. After that, I bounced around so many academies and dojos that I lost count. As a child, I had to move often, not just from city to city but to other countries as well. Moving so much can be difficult on a child; martial arts gave me structure and a sense of confidence when I needed it the most. Along the way, I trained a wide variety of styles and immersed myself in each of them as much as I could. I was fortunate to have deep-dived into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, and of course, Krav Maga (the rather long list goes on and on). Everywhere I trained, and gained enough experience to assist others, I discovered the joy of teaching. At first, an instructor would ask me to coach a few beginners, then gradually I would be asked to teach an entire class. My academic career took me into the sciences (archeology and paleontology), and later, my professional career took me into foreign language translation and interpretation. Throughout it all, I never stopped training as many styles as I could get my hands on. No matter where I was living or what my day job was, I never stopped teaching. In the early naughts, I was hired to teach Krav Maga and I have enthusiastically continued down that path ever since. In the mid-teens, I was one of the founders of AIKMO Krav Maga, and I became the sole proprietor in 2020. For the last few years, I have been blessed to have worked with my siblings and my niece (who are all very talented martial artists in their own right), as well as my dear friend and colleague of many years, Allan Coburn. Now, AIKMO has the privilege of providing the most practical self-defense system in the world to the South Florida community and we strive to always improve upon our tactics and expand our reach.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This journey of teaching self-defense has, without a doubt, had its ups and downs. Anyone around long enough can recall how one martial arts style or another comes and goes in in popularity based on what movie or show is en vogue. We at AIKMO make sure Krav Maga remains relevant by basing our curriculum on the rigors of modern life. We do not shy away from the myriad safety and security challenges that keeps us all up at night.
Another very difficult time in our history was during the COVID-19 crisis. Many schools closed their doors permanently during that time. We pivoted early to alternate models of class teaching in order to remain in business. Those were lean times, but we got through it thanks to our dedicated and savvy team, our loyal student base, and old-fashioned hard work.
And of course, in an age where even the most innocuous things can be politicized, Krav Maga in general saw some attrition. Regardless of this, AIKMO has been, and will always be, welcoming of absolutely everyone because everyone has a right to defend themselves.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We at AIKMO are extremely proud of the system we have developed and continually refine. Our method of Krav Maga is an easy-to-learn system of self-defense used around the world to protect people of all ages and fitness levels. It does not rely on mystical concepts or acrobatic techniques. The core of Krav Maga is not to repeat forms or focus on competition but rather empowering the individual to deal with very real threats they may confront in the world. It is specifically designed to offer realistic solutions to real-world threats. It does so by adapting the most practical techniques from various effective styles as well as tactics that are unique to our system so as to empower the individual. We focus our efforts on addressing nightmare scenarios such as severe bullying, assault, kidnapping, encountering an armed assailant, and we do all of this in a variety of scenarios. Everything we do is based on pragmatism and the needs of the general public. The system of Krav Maga we devised is for everyone regardless of age, size, physical ability, and experience level. We are so committed to this idea of ‘Self-Defense for Everyone’ that we have developed curriculum for individuals with various neuromuscular issues and individuals on the autism spectrum. We make our learning environment as inclusive and welcoming as we can. We have had the honor of devising programs for every type of community and group you could imagine. It has been an honor serving each of them.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
It is hard to pinpoint one main lesson I have learned in my over four decades of self-defense experience. I am eternally grateful to have a career that is so personally gratifying, given me chance to remain a perpetual student, given back at least in some small way to humanity, and allow me to make so many dear friends along the way.
Pricing:
- $149 per month for unlimited classes per month.
- We have very affordable rates for private classes and workshops.
- We offer the most competitive rates for workshops around the globe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aikmokravmaga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aikmokrav
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AIKMOusa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aikmo8937
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/aikmo-krav-maga-pompano-beach
Image Credits
The portrait of instructors includes (from left to right): Allan Coburn, Ariana Agosto, Diana Becerra, Steven Becerra, Mark Astor.
The young lady in the high five picture is Shira Sickles.
