Judah Tactical Self Defense

Martial arts in the Helmick Family 

 

       Martial arts is a family tradition for the helmicks. It started with Roy Helmick Sr. then Roy Helmick Jr. and then me "Mike Helmick". I can remember being really young and my dad would bring us out on a porch and teach us. We went to several schools over the years. The family was big on Karate Kickboxing and Judo. I am the first to go to jiujitsu but I will say once I started with that I loved it.

 

Why train Jiujitsu too?

 

        I started Jiujitsu when I was in the army. I was paired up with a battle buddy to train on the ground. I figured since I was so good standing I would not have a hard time......... I was wrong to say the least. I remember a man half my size wraping me up in a bow before I had a chance to react. Right then I said to myself I need to know this. 

 

After the army.

 

         After the army I started training in a system called Kodenkan Jiujitsu under Master Jim Ackerman. Jim was a master in Aki Jiujitsu Tang soo do and Kodenkan. He was a champion fighter. He would always show us stuff off the charts and teach ways of mixing styles up a bit. I loved it. 

 

Gracie Jiujitsu

 

Kodenkan Jiujitsu was a great standing and takedown art with some ground. However I needed somthing to focus on just the ground aspect. I visited several gyms in the area and found Gracie Fernandina a Relson Gracie Gym under Donny Avera and Chris Garza. I not only figured out quickly that the people in this gym were the elite but they also had that humbleness a lot of fighters dont have these days. They carried that martial arts code of morals that seems to have been lost these days. I decided this was the place to learn ground jiujitsu.

 

Jesus is the most important thing.

 

When I was young I had a very rough life. I will leave it at that for now, but if you ever want to know about it just ask. That being said, my life without God in complete control would have ended for sure years ago. He pulled me out of drugs, witchcraft, horrible living conditions and much more. I had to start my own life outside of the home. I had to learn some of lifes lessons the hard way. When God came on the scene things changed for the better and really fast. I was no longer living in a condemned home, I lost the desire for drugs and I no longer wanted to be the person I was. I decided to follow God and He has been faithful ever since.