Ella Missey

Ella Missey is currently a 3rd-year premedical biochemistry major at FSU. She takes her studies very seriously, maintaining a 3.95 GPA and studying for the MCAT to get into medical school. She hopes to study either infectious disease or emergency medicine. She has wanted to be a doctor from the age of 3 years old. This interest comes from both strong scientific curiosity and a deep desire to help those around her, the latter of which contributes to her being useful in assisting instruction. Ella started martial arts 5 years ago in Saint Louis, Missouri when she was a sophomore in high school, beginning with Krav Maga. Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art that focuses primarily on self-defense. It was created by Imi Lichtenfeld in the 1950s, intended for use by the Israeli army. It draws influence from Boxing, Judo, Aikido, Muay Thai, and other martial arts. Its curriculum includes street-fight like sparring, gun and knife defense, chokehold defenses, and many other techniques intended solely for street self-defense. Ella began in Cuong Nhu when she started at FSU in the fall of 2019. Moving to Tallahassee was a big change, so she became involved in the club rather quickly to not only make new friends but also to learn new techniques. She quickly became dedicated to the study of Cuong Nhu and to the friends she made in the club. Though she did not have experience in traditional martial art, she was able to use her knowledge of Krav Maga to better adapt to Cuong Nhu’s forms and techniques. Though the initial techniques were difficult for her at first, she soon adapted and began to learn very quickly. Her leadership within Cuong Nhu began when Master Vu noticed that the technique on her front kick was good and had her come to the front of the class for an example. Since then, she has only continued to improve, learning and mastering new techniques. As of now, she is the travel/safety officer in the club, helping to manage the club’s relationship with FSU. She currently holds the rank of two brown stripes in Cuong Nhu and hopes to test for her brown belt at the end of the semester. Though she does not have a black belt in previous martial art, Ella is a fast learner with a good attitude, and is always eager to improve, which has resulted in good technique. Additionally, she is very friendly and has a good grasp of how to explain techniques to others, which makes her a good teacher.