Julio Anta is the owner of Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense in Doral-Miami, Florida since 1998. Anta is an award winning martial arts, fitness Instructor. He is the published author of “Anta’s Ageless Warrior Fitness” book. He is also the video author of “Anta’s Art of Fighting Without Fighting Anti-Bullying” and “Anta’s Shaolin Physical Conditioning”.

Anta was a competitive bodybuilder in the eighties who was a runner up in the Jr. Mr. Florida and Mr. Miami. He won the 2017 South Florida Bodybuilding Championships (Mr. South Florida) 60 and over light weight and overall title. In 2019 he competed in the NPC North American Bodybuilding Championships Over 60 and was the 1st Runner-up Lightweight and 2019 NPC Florida State Bodybuilding Championships Over 60, 1st Runner-up. He believes in leading by example and is in excellent shape and trains daily

Anta’s tactical background includes being a retired State of Florida Corrections Officer and an honorably discharged United States Marine Corps Reserves Sergeant. Krav Maga instructor, Israeli Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics Instructor, Israeli Active Shooter Response instructor, Counter Terrorism, Israeli Combat Shooting Instructor and NRA Pistol and Rifle instructor.

Anta was born in Cuba in 1957. He arrived in the USA with his parents in 1962. At the tender age of 6 or 7 years old he told his father who had Boxed in Cuba that he was going to be a martial artist and a bodybuilder when he grew up. As a sick, small and weak child he loved watching Tarzan, Hercules and Swashbuckler movies. His father supported the idea 100%, even though no one else could ever believe that this sick, shy and weak boy could ever accomplish this. As a boy walking to a relative’s house he picked up from the street some photos of bodybuilders and told his father that he wanted to look like that when he grew up. One day watching the Tom and Jerry cartoons he saw a mouse wearing a white pajama looking outfit flip the cat. He asked his dad if that was possible. His father replied yes if you learn Judo. As a boy he loved to see Steve Reeves Hercules Movies and later Bruce Lee in the Green Hornet inspired him. Yet, in the 70’s after seeing the Kung Fu TV series and the Bruce Lee movies he knew that he had to do Kung Fu. Anta has been a practitioner of the martial arts since 1972 and began serious bodybuilding in 1976. Julio’s first martial art training began with Judo at the Florida Judo Kai in Hialeah under the tutelage of Cuban Judo great Reinaldo Montpellier.

He has studied Karate under different instructors. In 1974 he witnessed his first Kung Fu class and began training in Hung Gar. His teacher returned to NY and Anta trained in numerous styles of Karate: Japanese, American, Okinawa and Korean (Tae Kwon Do). Yet, his true love was the reality based style of Southern Shaolin, Hung Gar Kung Fu. In the early nineties Anta found his instructor again and began training in Kung Fu until he earned his Black Sash and began teaching. Today he holds the rank of Hung Gar Kung Fu Master under the late Grand Master William J. Chung of New York, and the National Hip Sing Association. He was Grand Master Chung’s personal representative in the South East United States. Grand Master Chung was a Personal Disciple of Southern Shaolin Abbot Chang Ding Fujian Province Quanzhou Southern Shaolin Temple.

After studying numerous martial arts and incorporating them in his kung fu he believed that his natural progression was to finally study Bruce Lee’s art of Jeet Kune Do (JKD). Today Anta is a member of Jeet Kune Do Athletics and is a certified Jeet Kune Do Coach One Instructor. He is also a certified instructor to teach Muay Thai, Judokickbox and Krav Maga. Anta is a Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Tai Chi and yoga student and considers himself a student for life.

Anta after many years of studying and teaching anti-bullying developed a complete Anti-Bullying program “Art of Fighting without Fighting Anti-Bullying “. Anta was awarded proclamations for “Art of Fighting without Fighting Anti-Bullying” Day on August 25, 2012 by the City of Doral and Miami Dade County.

Anta owns one of South Florida’s most successful martial arts and fitness centers fulfilling his childhood dreams. Anta believes that he is a student for life training in numerous martial arts and in fitness.

Martial Arts and Fitness Certifications:

Krav Maga Association Full Instructor
Krav Maga Association Expert Instructor Level 1
Krav Maga Association Israeli Counter Terrorism
Krav Maga Association Defensive Tactics for Law Enforcement Instructor
Krav Maga Association Active Shooter Response Instructor
Krav Maga Association Israeli Combat Shooting Instructor
Hung Gar Kung Fu Master
Judokickbox 2nd Dan Red and Black Belt (Equivalent to 2nd Degree Black Belt)
Haganah F.I.G.H.T. (Fierce Israeli Guerrilla Hand to hand Tactics) Instructor
C.O.R.E Krav Maga Instructor
KMMA Krav Maga Martial Arts Instructor
NRA Pistol Instructor
NRA Rifle Instructor
Jeet Kune Do Athletic Association (JKDAA) Coach One Instructor
Paul Vunak’s Progressive Fighting System Jeet Kune Do Phase One Instructor
Progressive Fighting System Edge Weapon Instructor
Progressive Fighting System Law Enforcement Instructor
JKDAA Military JKD & SPECOPS Kali certified
Muay Thai Instructor (Trans Muay Thai Association) Level 3 Kru Instructor
WKL (World Kickboxing League) Kickboxing Instructor
United States Ju-Jitsu Federation Brown Belt Ikkyu 1st class
Gracie Jiu Jitsu under Valenti Brothers Blue Belt
SABER Edge Weapons Combative’s Instructor
Burn with Kearns MMA Fighter Fit Level 3 Instructor
Action Strength Instructor
Battling Ropes Instructor
Fitness Kickboxing Instructor
Kardio Karate Instructor
ISSA Fitness Instructor (Personal Trainer)
HKC Kettlebell Certification
Mike Mahler Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop
ECF (Elite Combat Fitness) Instructor
Elite Kettlebell Instructor
Kettlebell Concepts Kettlebell Instructor
IYCA (International Youth Conditioning Association) Youth Fitness Specialist
National Security Agency certified Child Safety Agent
Surviving an Active Shooter certified by Vistelar
Dr. Terrence Webster-Doyle Martial Arts for Peace Bully Buster instructor
ACMA (American Council of Martial Arts) certified by the Copper Institute
Dr Ben Lerner’s Maximized Living Mentor
Authorized Steal Proof Master (Anti Child Abduction and Safety) Presenter
ICS Fitness and Nutrition Instructor
ISKA MMA Referee
Pilates Physical Minds Institute
All American Pilates
Serrada Escrima Apprentice Instructor

He has also cross trained in Boxing and Kickboxing. He trained under Boxing and Kickboxing World Champion James Warring and under Boxing and Kickboxing instructor Eufracio Gonzalez who is currently the trainer of numerous professional World Boxing champions.

Awards/Organizations:

Julio has been a guest on over 150 TV shows. Univision’s Control, Despierta America, Noticias 23, Al Amanecer, Primer Impacto, mun2 Fuzion, Telefutura’s Veredicto Final, CBS 4 News, WPLG TV 10 News on ABC. Channel 7 Fox News, CV Network, Telefutura, Galavision, Today in South Florida, Telemundo’s News, Buenos Dias, Al Rojo Vivo, TVC’s Una Hora Contigo, Ch 41 America TeVe News, Quiereme Descalsi, Miami Contigo, Show de Fernando, Pax’s Aleph TeVe, TBN Joy in our Town, UMTV News, Telemundo’s Al Rojo Vivo, Levantate, Un Nuevo Dia, Titulares Y Mas, Deco Drive, Fuzion DN and numerous other TV shows.

Anta hosted the Fitness Tip of the Week for Metro Life Worship Center in Doral in 2005. In May of 2018 Anta was featured in the Life Extension magazine. Mr. Anta wrote a column for the Doral Tribune for 13 years. He also use to write for Ciudad Doral Newspaper and Live Doral Magazine. His articles have been published in Tae Kwon Do Times, Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Martial Arts Professional, Dragon Boat World, Fytness Fanatiks, NAPMA Now, Doral Planet, Doral Lifestyle, Trumpeter Magazines and at his blog www.martialartsandfitness.typepad.com.

Pedro Luis Martinez
Pedro is a Muay Thai Kickboxing Black Belt Instructor. He is an Israeli Combat Shooting Instructor under the Krav Maga Association. He is an NRA Pistol instructor and an NRA Rifle instructor. He is a Krav Maga student. Martinez has trained in the Krav Maga Associations Active Shooter Response. His wife and son are also students at Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense.

Sebastian Fernandez Roger
Sebastian is a black belt instructor in Muay Thai Kickboxing. He is also a Krav Maga student at Anta’s. Sebastian has lost over 35 pounds since he started at Anta’s. He leads by example his son also hold’s the rank of black belt in Muay Thai kickboxing.

Marcos Peternela
is a level 1 Krav Maga Instructor under the Krav Maga Association. His wife and son also train at Anta’s Fitness and Self Defense. Marcos is a black belt instructor under Anta’s Krav Maga. He has also trained in the Krav Maga Associations Active Shooter and Israeli Combat Shooting programs.

Richard Crane
Richard is an Anta’s Krav Maga and Muay Thai Kickboxing student. Crane is a student at Florida International University. He is a Safe Smart Level 2 Instructor in Commando Krav Maga. Richard is a Jeet Kune Do RAT (Rapid Assaults Tactics) instructor under Paul Vunak. He has trained with the Krav Maga Association in Active Shooter Response and Israeli Tactical Shooting.