Alena Turley (Sydney, Australia)  understands the power of training.  As just a white belt, she fended off two attackers and later overcame a brief imprisonment at home by knife. Click here to listen: https://anchor.fm/andrea-harkins/episodes/Alena-Turley—Insights-and-Inspiration-from-a-Hapkido-Perspective-ekfqju. With her own experience of trauma and abuse behind her, she is uniquely qualified to work with women to develop strength and confidence on the mats with warmth and determination.

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Today, Alena is the founder of one of Australia’s first women’s only Hapkido classes. She is a blogger, an award-winning educator, content creator and mother of three. She also founded the pioneering ethical lifestyle & soulful parenting hub, SoulMammaBlog.com.

Background & Bio:  

“Whatever shows up for us in life shows up for us on the mat.” -Alena Turley

I started training in 1994, trained for 5 years to Red Belt level. Then, after a twenty-year hiatus, began training again in 2018. I was inspired by pop culture references to martial arts and various cultures and drawn to a warrior spirit for women. 

I was young and single and living in inner Sydney so initially, I was honestly just looking for some fitness, wellbeing and self-defence. Hapkido quickly drew me with its holistic offering of mental, physical and spiritual practice in the context of a welcoming and ethical community. Holitically, Hapkido allows me to train my mind, body, and spirit at the same time. It is a whole package in terms of principles of harmony and it is extremely healing for trauma. Integrating all the parts of yourself and becoming present is very powerful.  As you progress through the levels of belts or degrees, the ultimate goal is service to the community.

Martial arts holds me accountable to the fundamental elements of wellness such as eating better, drinking water, and getting more sleep. As a mom, it gives me space outside of my role of mother and caretaker and have a couple of hours purely dedicated to my own development.

Being a qualified school teacher I have a firmly entrenched love of learning and sharing that with young people. Even back when I first began training, I always wanted to participate in the tradition of learning and teaching that has been going on for thousands of years with this artform. People are generously nurtured through their belts and then, in turn, they nurture others. I was always particularly drawn to the idea of teaching kids and women. It’s incredibly rewarding sharing Hapkido with others and watching them develop as martial artists. I feel like Hapkido has done so much for me that I need to give something back. Teaching is the best way to learn and to break down any technique and analyze it. We also have a responsibility to create safe spaces for those we teach.

I am fairly new to instructing, but I was asked to help partly because I have a background in martial arts and a deeper understanding for what women need when the trail. I like teaching kids and women because it is fun and children and women are slightly more vulnerable to domestic violence or learning difficulties for kids.