Aqabah Karate Graduates Their First RAD Students By Ayesha Mustafa

This summer, Aqabah Karate sponsored its first Rape Aggression Defense Basic Physical Defense Class for

women, a three-week intensive designed to dynamically and comprehensively teach women how to defend

themselves. R.A.D. Systems was first developed by former Marine Lawrence Nadeu in 1989, who felt that self-

defense classes at the time were predominantly at two very different ends of a single spectrum, focusing either

solely on lectures about prevention and avoidance or on martial arts defense training. The Rape Aggression

Defense System (for women) was developed with the best of both in mind: a dynamic program that incorpo-

rates lecture with realistic physical defense techniques.

(Continued on P.4)

Aqabah Karate Newsletter

Your Source for Aqabah Karate News, Health, and Fitness

ISSUE 03 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

Br. Jamal Pender of Aqabah practicing Budokon, a style that combines yoga and martial arts.

This Issue

What’s new with Aqabah P.1

Health, Women’s Corner P.2

Fitness, Director’s Desk P.3

Delicious Health Recipes P. 4

Herbal Medicine P. 5

Upcoming Events P.6

The Budokon Phenomenon By Wendy Díaz

Aqabah Karate is more than just Karate. It has evolved into a full-fledged mixed martial arts school, offer-ing students a spectrum of martial arts styles, fitness options, grappling and self-defense techniques. With instructors qualified and experienced in Korean Tang Soo Do, Chinese Kung Fu, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Brazil-ian Jiu Jitsu, Japanese Shotokan Karate, and Korean Tae Kwon Do, Aqabah is the premier Muslim martial arts school in the Maryland/DC area. And just when it seemed to not get any better than this, the school has been privileged with the opportunity to also offer Budokon, through its newest instructor to step back in the scene, Jamal Pender.

Budokon is a modern form of exercise that fuses martial arts with yoga. It is a combination of standing and ground techniques focusing on agility, control, speed, power, balance and flow. The workout is low-impact but high-intensity and appropriate for students of all ages and fitness levels. It is a wonderful compliment to the already flourishing Aqabah Karate Program.

Jamal Pender is a well-rounded martial artist and a valuable asset to Aqabah Karate. He brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to the school. He is a certified Budokon Sensei, trained by Budokon founder, Cameron Shayne, a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Jiu Jitsu, and a 1st Degree Black Belt in Shotokan Karate.

To register for upcoming Budokon classes, visit our website at www.aqabahkarate.com.

Watermelon: One Super Fruit!

Deliciously sweet

and refreshing, the

watermelon is a

tasty thirst-

quenching summer

fruit that is also

packed with the an-

tioxidants Vitamin C

and Vitamin A. Eat-

ing this juicy fruit is

an excellent way to replenish and rehydrate the body, and wa-

termelon contains minerals that help the body to use its fluid

most effectively. The scholar Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned the

cleansing properties of watermelon, especially when eaten be-

fore food, in his Prophetic Medicine.

Watermelon has also been associated with reducing the inflam-

mation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclero-

sis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.

Watermelon is related to the cantaloupe, squash and pumpkin,

other plants that also grow on vines on the ground. Watermel-

ons can be round, oblong or spherical in shape and have thick

green rinds that are often spotted or striped. They range in size

from a few pounds to upward of ninety pounds.

Although watermelon contains about 92% water, it is also an

excellent source of Vitamin C and a very good source of Vitamin

A, through its concentration of Beta-carotene. The lycopene

content of watermelon is comparable to what is found in raw

tomatoes. A one-cup serving of watermelon contains about the

same amount of lycopene as two medium-sized tomatoes. Stud-

ies also suggest that the body's ability to absorb lycopene in

fresh watermelon may be comparable to that in tomato juice,

which is considered the optimal source of lycopene. Lycopene is

a potent carotenoid that has been found to protect against cer-

tain cancers, heart disease, age-related macular degeneration

and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Another key nutrient found in watermelon is vitamin B, espe-

cially B1 (thiamine) and B6 (pyridoxine). The B-vitamins provide

energy, and thiamine in particular is important for a healthy

nervous system. Pyridoxine, or vitamin B6 is essential for aiding

enzymes that convert food into energy.

Watermelon Is Replenishing and Rich in Antioxidants Taken from www.healthymuslim.com

WOMEN’S CORNER

Testimonial from a RAD Grad...

I am a stay-at-home full-time mom with 4 active kids, MashaAllah. As

such, I always feel it is necessary to posses the knowledge to defend

myself and my family. This is why I enrolled in Aqabah Karate's adult

women's class and I have now been training for two years.

Alhamdulillah Aqabah Karate is very dedicated to empower the Muslim

women and recently they offered an intensive women-only self defense

class in cooperation with RAD.

The 18 hour class, divided into 3 weekends, was taught by RAD

certified instructor Ayesha Mustafa and her assistants. Class location

was Aqabah Karate's spacious training Hall in College Park. There were

six students all together, which gave us an amazing opportunity to get

hands-on instruction. Instructor Ayesha Mustafa set some ground-rules

before the class started, which made it clear that she demanded the

best effort from all students. I liked that.

The first weekend was all about situational awareness and non-physical

means of self-defense. Facts I learned during this time was

eye-opening and empowering. For example, I learned that women in

the US get assaulted every seven minutes. This reinforced my belief for

the need to be on guard and to take necessary precautions. Allah

demands this attitude from the believers of taking all necessary

measures and placing trust in Allah. This is really 90% of

self-defense. How we talk, walk, stand, and look could all play a part

to repel or to attract a potential threat. For example, someone

walking with their head down and shoulders slouched could indicate a

lack of self-confidence and invite potential trouble.

The second weekend was spent learning physical skills and then

drilling them with a lot of repetitions for muscle memory. Our

teacher wanted the techniques to become instinctive, Insha-Allah,

should the need arise.

The third weekend we learned some more techniques followed by an

intense test where I was required to demonstrate everything from day

one. It was tiring but I passed Alhamdulillah. One of the benefits

of passing is that I become a lifetime RAD member and I can continue

to attend other classes for free so I can maintain my skill level.

I highly recommend this class for all females 17 years and above.

Insha-Allah if this class is offered in your community, take it. It

is guaranteed to change your life, insha-Allah.

For more information about the women’s classes at Aqabah Karate,

visit: www.AqabahKarate.com

For more information about Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Systems,

visit: www.rad-systems.com

Exercise of the Month: Squat Jumps

FROM THE

DIRECTOR DESK

A message from Muhib

Rahman

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatuhu Alhamdulillah for the opportunity to address our readers via our third in-stallment. JazakumAllahu khairan to AK Newsletter Staff for doing such an amazing job on the newsletter. Everyone looks at summer time as an opportunity to engage in fun, relaxing and meaningful activities. Aqabah Karate staff did not have time to re-lax. We got creative and diligently worked to offer a number of exciting summer classes in addition to the regular weekly and weekend classes. We kicked off the summer by teaming up with Darussalaam's (DUS) on two of their summer camp classes. First, we taught beginning level martial arts classes to summer campers. A big thanks to brown belts, Haajar Eberle and Mustabin Hossain for superbly teaching the girls' classes.

Second, we supported DUS's "STRENGTH" class. This was an amaz-ing initiative where students were asked to immerse themselves for a six week intensive class of sharia, Quran and physical fitness. Ninty percent of the class were women. Once again our brown belt Haajar Eberle did an out-standing job of teaching Quran and fitness to the female students.

Our star project this summer was the 18 hour women's self-defense class of-fered in cooperation with Rape Aggres-sion Defence (RAD). This class was a response to a local sexual assault that took place in college park. Normally these classes are offered outside at a very high price. We were able to offer it at a fraction of the cost thanks to RAD instructor Ayesha Mustafa, also a white belt in Aqabah Karate.

Squat jumps are not just ordinary squats; they are squats with a punch. This workout will help you with your endurance, strength, give you explosive power, activate new muscle growth, and help you lose weight. You may feel soreness in your calves and thighs after this exercise, but keep in mind that pain is progress!

Target Area: Leg muscles

Difficulty Level: Moderate to Advanced

Repetitions: Varies

Instructions:

Step 1

Put your hands behind your head bending your arms at the elbows.

Step 2

Squat down until the top of your thighs are parallel to the floor or until you feel the bottom of your thighs touch your calves. Be sure to keep your back straight.

Step 3

As soon as you squat down, jump up in an explosive movement so that your legs straighten and your feet leave the floor. If your feet cannot leave the floor, simply go onto the tips of your toes. Make sure you keep your hands behind your head the whole time and that, as you squat down, you're keeping your back straight up and down.

Step 4

As soon as you land, go straight back down into the squat position and jump again.

Useful Tips

Do these fast and try to maintain good form.

You can break up your workout into 3 or 4 sets of squat jumps, each lasting one min-ute.

Do as many as you can and take a minute break after each set. Jot down how many you did while you rest.

Combine with push-ups for a more thor-ough, full-body work-out.

We all know the health benefits of eat-

ing dates, but after a month of breaking

our fast with them, we may be a little

hesitant to eat more of these sweet de-

lights. But what to do with all the left-

overs? Here is a recipe that will make

you fall in love with dates all over again!

Enjoy!

Cheese-Stuffed Medjool Dates

Ingredients:

8 ounces of medjool dates

1 ounce of cream cheese or 1 ounce of

goat cheese or 1 ounce of blue cheese

2 ounces of chopped almonds, walnuts,

or pecans

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

1. Split date lengthwise and remove pit

2. Stuff with 1 t of cheese

3. Sprinkle with 1 t chopped nuts

4. Serve chilled

Servings: 6

For a less nutty variation, omit chopped

nuts and eat dates on top of low sodium

saltine crackers. They are the perfect

balance between salty and sweet.

A HEALTHY CHOICE

Delicious recipes with healthy benefits

Aqabah Students Graduate from RAD Self-Defense Seminar (Continued from P.1)

A few weeks before the intensive, 3-week course, Aqabah Karate arranged a preview self-

defense seminar where R.A.D. Instructors discussed recent safety concerns in the College

Park community (given the rise in sexual assaults in the area) and showcased many tech-

niques that students would learn in the class. Alhamdulillah, about 50 women attended

that July seminar, having learned a few blocking and movement techniques that very day.

Although the intensive course did not have quite the same turnout as the 2-hour seminar,

the students who signed up for the RAD Basic Physical Defense course were dedicated,

hard-working women who did everything their instructor asked of them, and more. Almost

70% of the students were mothers, two of whom registered their daughters for the class, as

well. Some students had previous martial arts training while others hadn’t set foot in a gym

(or gym shoes) for years—the RAD program embraces the diversity of its student body and

designed its techniques so that they could be effectively employed by women of any body

type and background.

The RAD Class was taught by Ayesha Mustafa, a RAD instructor for over 3 years who is also

licensed by the National Academy of Defense Education. The first weekend started off with

a basic introduction of the course before a light warm-up; on their very first day, the stu-

dents learned the stances of self-defense, blocks, yells, and moves. The instructor plunged

into the lecture material wherein definitions of sexual assault and risk reductions strategies

were outlined. She also discussed the importance of educating the community, young and

old, about gender relations and how to keep safe.

“No one has the right to violate you or hurt you in any way, be it physical, mental, or

emotional. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man, woman, or child, married, or single—

no one is allowed to hurt you. You have the God-given right to protect and defend

yourself,” said the instructor.

The second weekend started off by finishing the lecture material, laying out the principles

of self-defense and identification of vulnerable locations and personal weapons. The physi-

cal techniques, which dominated the final weekends, applied this knowledge in two stages:

fine-control techniques and gross-control techniques. There was a thorough review of all

physical techniques learned, striking drills, and role-playing scenarios in which students

could not escape without applying RAD techniques.

Students looked to the final weekend with much trepidation—they would be learning

ground defense techniques and would face their greatest challenge of the course: the exam.

The instructor addressed any anxieties and concerns prior to this session where students

learned to fall “the RAD way,” and how to defend themselves while on their sides, backs,

and fronts. It was amazing to see how quickly they picked these techniques up and the zest

with which they made every strike.

On the final Sunday the women lined up for their final examination. Together, they per-

formed every kick, block, and strike that was called out; they dislodged choking hands from

their necks, threw assailants off their backs, and knocked that exam out of the ballpark.

Every student passed with flying colors. And to celebrate their achievement, Br. Muhib

Rahman and his family brought in a specially decorated cake and other treats to honor to

new RAD “grads”. Al-Hamdulillah, the course was done. The women who left that class

walked out a little taller, empowered and strong, as Allah, no doubt, intended them to be.

Testimonials:

After taking the RAD Basic Self Defense course I felt very empowered. I am more aware, con-

fident and feel that I now possess the ability to formulate an escape plan if I am ever in dan-

ger. I know that this course has allowed me to obtain skills that may possibly safe my life. -

Aisha Flipping

We loved this class! - Noreen Hussain

Ayesha Mustafa is also a student in the Aqabah Karate adult women’s class.

What an Herbalist can do for you: Amani El Sawah, herbalist intern at Tai Sophia Institute, shares her thoughts

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK A message from Muhib Rahman

Last but not least, we welcome back Jamal Pender to the Aqabah fam-ily. Brother Jamal taught classes for Aqabah Karate in its early years. His job had assigned him to Canada for 6 years. Alhamdulillah he has returned to Maryland and we look forward to benefit from his Martial Arts knowl-edge. He is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, a Second Degree in Japanese Ju-Jitsu, a First Degree in Shotokan Karate, and a Purple Belt in Budokon. Budo-what? This is an ex-citing new style that links martial arts movement with yoga. The moves are fun but very challenging, I assure you! Best Regards, Muhib Rahman Program Director Aqabah Karate 240-565-8709 Cell www.aqabahkarate.com

When you think of herbal medicine, you may think that herbs are just a natural alternative to conventional, synthetic medicines. As a clinical herbalist intern, I am often asked questions regarding what herbs one should take for a certain condition or ailment. While there are certain situations where a “quick fix” herbal remedy can be used, the best way to truly heal is to treat the whole per-son, not just a disease or condition

they have. Because everyone is different, so too is the approach for each person. One person with arthritis may not only experience it differently than another, but will have a different personal presentation (family and medical history, diet, etc) than another. For this reason, “quick fixes” can only resolve issues temporarily and/or may not work in the same manner for everyone. That is why it is recommended for individuals to come and see an herbalist in person. You do not need to have a severe illness or condition to seek herbal counseling. In fact, many, if not all, people can benefit from a consultation and herbs. Whether it is for sup-port for fertility, allergies, digestive issues, joint pain, skin conditions, migraines, etc., as an herbalist, I will act as a detective, using all the various symptoms you experience as clues to “what’s going on” (i.e. to attempt to find out the underlying cause). Using this holistic approach and providing you with recommendations about diet, lifestyle, stress management, and herbal remedies, insha’Allah I will work with you to help you achieve better health and wellbeing and become more aware of your body’s needs. Because eve-rything is in the hands of Allah, there are no guarantees that all symptoms or diseases will disappear. But, insha’Allah, with each positive health change you make, you will be a step closer to feeling and living better. Since my focus in the clinic will be on treating you rather than treating only your symp-toms, you may need to spend more time (at least initially) than you are used to spending with conventional practitioners. Achieving better health requires you to make a commit-ment to yourself. It may take longer and more “work” than you are accustomed to, but the result, insha’Allah, will be an improvement in well-being and long-term lasting changes. Good health is priceless and worth all the time and effort we can invest in it. We know the importance of brushing our teeth everyday; the rest of our body also needs daily care and maintenance. And just as we cannot make up years of not brushing merely by brushing “extra”, years of not taking proper care of our bodies may not be overtly evi-dent immediately or within a few years, but may show up as disease several years later and result in greater time, money and effort to treat.

Your next questions may be: What can I do to set up an appointment for an herbal con-sultation and how much would it be? Upon making an appointment with me, your first and second consultations will be about two hours long and cost $45 and $30, respec-tively. All follow-up visits are one hour each and cost $30. Payment may be made by check, cash or credit card or through an FSA or has. If you wish to give a Sadaqah jariyah, please consider donating money to help a fellow Muslim, who wishes to see a Muslim herbalist, pay for consultations. There is also a free herbal service, as part of my school's clinic *, for those who do not have a specific preference for a Muslim herbalist. For those interested in an herbal consultation, or want to get more information, you may contact me at 872-222-7348 or e-mail me at amani.elsawah@gmail.com.

* Tai Sophia Institute is an accredited institution of higher education, offering master's degree programs in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. The main cam-pus is located in Laurel, Maryland.

Student of the Month

The staff and students of Aqabah Karate would like to recognize the following individual as Stu-dent of the Month for AUGUST 2010.

Sayeemah Ahmed

8 years old, Orange Belt

Keep up the good work!

Stay tuned for our next Stu-dent of the Month by checking our website: www.aqabahkarate.com

Don’t forget to visit us on YouTube, FaceBook, and Blog!

Aqabah Karate Newsletter

ISSUE 03 SEPTEMBER 2010

Upcoming Events

AQABAH KARATE 5301 Edgewood Road

College Park, MD 20740

301.551.5119 ph

240.565.8709 m

info@aqabahkarate.com

www.aqabahkarate.com

Words of Wisdom

"The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger."

Prophet Muhammad (Sahih Bukhari)

First week of October– Gup Testing

October 16th – Battle of Baltimore at Essex Community College

www.burdyck.com for more information

October 23rd – Grappler’s Quest, Landover, MD

www.grapplersquest.com for more information

November 11th – Grandmaster David Sgro visits Aqabah Karate

November - Belt Promotion Day (TBA)

December - 1st Annual Aqabah Karate Appreciation Dinner (TBA)

*Check our website, fan page, or blog for updates on upcoming events.

What are you doing about your weight?