Today we’d like to introduce you to Julio Anta.
Hi Julio, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started teaching martial arts in Doral in 1998. I started teaching kids kung fu and adults fitness kickboxing. I was working as a corrections officer while doing this. I also taught kickboxing at Bally’s Fitness center and at an elementary school. Little after I started teaching adult kung fu also. We are the longest running martial arts school in Doral.
Later I added Haganah FIGHT Israeli Self Defense and Pilates. We were the first Pilates studio in North Miami Dade. My wife taught mat Pilates and later equipment classes.
The first kettlebell certification in Florida was at our training center. We also started the first group kettlebell class in South Florida. I was the first person in South Florida to get ferried in Battling ropes and Indian Clubs. With time we started a functional training class consisting of kettlebells, Indian Clubs, kickboxing, Battling Ropes, medicine balls and calisthenics.
As I got certified as a Muay Thai kickboxing instructor we added it to our classes. Then I got certified in Jeet Kune Do and started a class. My wife got certified in Piloxing. She was only person certified that was not from California. We now had Pilates and Piloxing.
Around 15 years ago I got certified in Krav Maga and we started a class. I’m also ferried in Israeli Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics, Israeli Active Shooter Response, and counter terrorism. 21 year teaching Israeli Self Defense.
I have the rank of Hung Gar Kung Fu master, I have a 2nd degree black belt in Judokickbox, 3rd degree black belt in Krav Maga, 5th degree in Sansei Goju Ryu Karate, Kru instructor in Muay Thai, Instructor in Jeet Kune Do. I am an NRA gun and rifle instructor, Israeli Tactical pistol and rifle instructor. I hold numerous fitness certifications. I study Tai Chi and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
I was a competitive bodybuilder in the 80’s. Later at 60 I won the South Florida Bodybuilding competition. I placed 2nd in the Florida over 60 bodybuilding and 2nd in the North American over 60 bodybuilding championships.
I was a sergeant in the USMCR and an FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement. We been on hundreds of TV shows and news stations.
Today we teach a kids mixed martial Arts of the martial arts system of the martial arts I’m an instructor in. For teen and adults we teach kickboxing and Krav Maga.
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?
Its been ups and downs. After Covid less than 1/8 of the students came back to class. It was like starting a new school.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We transform lives by leading by example. I am 68. I teach 6 days a week. weight train 5 days a week. train in Tai Chi or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 5 days a week. Our goal is to build a culture of fit martial artist that are students for life. We specialize in anti-bullying. I am one of the few instructors fully certified in the Dr Terrance Webster Doyle’s Bully Buster program. DR T coined the word bully busters and wrote over 20 books. I later develop my own anti-bullying program the art of fighting without fighting. We do free community service anti-bullying, anti-abduction and women self defense every year.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I am a risk taker and believe that you must take risk to succeed in life. I tell my students that I have failed more than any of them have tried. Yet, I don’t give up.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.antamartialarts.com and www.DoralKravMaga.com
- Instagram: Anta Martial Arts
- Facebook: Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense
- Twitter: Julio Anta @fitdef
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/antafit
