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

GROWING UP WITH NO EXCUSES

GROWING UP WITH NO EXCUSES

My Dad didn’t have to ask what was wrong, he knew the drill when he heard me wheezing.

WHAT ASTRONAUTS AND KARATE HAVE IN COMMON

Before he became a famous NASA astronaut, John Glenn was a fighter pilot in the Korean war.

THE LESSONS IN YET AND GET

Oftentimes parents feel pressure to be “perfect,” even though no parent is (sorry Mom ), but there are always small adjustments you can make as a parent.

BUILDING FOCUS AND CONFIDENCE IN ISAAC

BUILDING FOCUS AND CONFIDENCE IN ISAAC

Isaac started martial arts three years ago. He was 4 and active and his parents wanted to find a way to help him interact better in pre-school.

A WISH GRANTED FOR KELLAN

Everyone is here is for Kellan.

He’s a tiny Asah Shark, thin, a few strands of blonde hair left on his head. No eyebrows.

9 BLACK BELT TIPS FOR TEACHING ON ZOOM

9 BLACK BELT TIPS FOR TEACHING ON ZOOM

Did you hear about the guy who was in a coma for the last year? He asked if someone wanted to Skype.

SLEEPING LIKE A DONKEY… THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP FOR KIDS

SLEEPING LIKE A DONKEY… THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP FOR KIDS

Each leg stands for a needed component of fitness and health:

MAKING A SINCERE EFFORT

MAKING A SINCERE EFFORT

Sincere’s mom was shocked when she got the diagnosis for her energetic 4-year-old who loves Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

THE POWERHOUSE AND THE KID WHO HAD NO TALENT

THE POWERHOUSE AND THE KID WHO HAD NO TALENT

The Powerhouse is also known as Marion. She’s 5’3” with red glasses, and analyzes engagement data metrics by day. An amateur artist, wife to a guy who works for a food delivery app, mom to the Kid Who Had No Talent. 

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