Rochelle E. Brenner

Martial Arts Instructor & Writer | Action Karate Mt. Airy & Collingswood

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Rochelle writes across the full breadth of martial arts education, drawing on three decades of competition, coaching, and award-winning journalism.

ABOUT ME

Rochelle Brenner has spent 30 years within the martial arts space with a career alongside it telling its stories. A 4th Degree Black Belt in Kenpo and boxing, she is the 2008 National Women’s Golden Gloves Champion, a former USA Boxing judge and coach, and the first woman ever honoured by the Boxing Writers Association of America for first-person ringside writing. As a Temple University journalism graduate, she has written and edited three books on martial arts. Apart from all this, she has appeared on national television and built two Action Karate locations across nearly a decade. Rochelle’s expertise also means she has trained an estimated 3,000 students and guided more than 200 to their black belts.

WRITING AND TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Rochelle’s writing is grounded in a conviction she has carried since her first class as a child: that martial arts belongs in the mainstream. Not as a niche pursuit or a supplement to other activities, but as a core curriculum. The physical and mental benefits she has witnessed across 30 years of training and 10 years of teaching are not incidental. They show up in grades, in friendships, in the way a child carries themselves into a room. Her published work reflects that belief, moving freely between competition reporting, parenting insights, and the quieter victories that don’t make the headlines. As a mother of two teenagers and an active foster mum to teens with babies, she brings a professional and personal perspective.

CREDENTIALS

Articles by Rochelle

Never Too Late: What I’ve Learned Watching Adults Start Karate at 30, 40 and 50+

Never Too Late: What I’ve Seen Watching Adults Start Karate at 40, […]

Bully-Proof: How Karate Helps Kids Handle Bullies Without Throwing a Punch

Last week, a parent came into the karate school looking for help. […]

What to Expect at Your Child’s First Karate Class (And How to Prepare Them for Success)

★ Key Takeaways ✦ Messy first classes are normal, not failure — […]

Grit in an Age of Distraction: What Angela Duckworth, Vivek Murthy, and Martial Arts Teach Us About Raising Strong Kids

If you want your child to thrive in a world filled with […]

Self-Defense Tips: Techniques for Staying Safe Against Bigger, Stronger Threats

Self-Defense Tips: Techniques for Staying Safe Against Bigger, Stronger Threats

Personal safety starts with awareness, not physical strength. Most dangerous situations can […]

Action Karate and Firth Youth Center wrap up Stronger Together, helping to connect families of differently-abled youth

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ – [June 8, 2026] – Action Karate Phillipsburg has officially […]

“I Don’t Want to Force Them” – What Karate Parents Should Do Before Saying That

“I Don’t Want to Force Them” – What Karate Parents Should Do Before Saying That

Parenting  ·  Mindset “I Don’t Want to Force Them” —What Karate Parents […]

Protecting Kids: Top Priorities Federal & Local Law Enforcement Wants Parents to Know

Protecting Kids: Top Priorities Federal & Local Law Enforcement Wants Parents to Know

Child Safety  ·  Online Threats Protecting Kids:Top Priorities Federal & Local Law […]

The Most Uncomfortable Child-Safety Pamphlet Ever Written

The Most Uncomfortable Child-Safety Pamphlet Ever Written

Child Safety  ·  Stranger Danger ⚠ Warning: this is tough to read […]

1 2 3 … 7