Director Englewood Krav Maga Kids Program
Full-Time Female Instructor, Englewood Krav Maga Adult Program
Lee Francesca Spagnolo (better known as Ms. Lee) began her training at Englewood Krav Maga in 2015 under head instructor Sensei Juan Berrios. She was looking for a system that could teach a small framed woman how to properly defend herself and fight. She fell in love with Krav Maga after her first class on the mat at EKM. Throughout her years of training, she began to volunteer in the kids program observing and assisting on the mat with her teacher. Her love of children and her love of children learning has always been a great passion. Lee has an extensive background in teaching young learners. With a Masters in Elementary Education, she spent 10 years teaching in the classroom as a Kindergarten and First grade teacher as well as moving around into different grades and tutoring privately. She has a great love of literacy and in working with young struggling readers she decided to return back to school to become certified as an Orton Gillingham Teacher as well as a Dyslexia Therapist. She was looking to take her academic background and implement it onto the mat working with young learners and utilizing her teaching styles to take difficult concepts and make them more comprehendible to her students. Lee believes strongly in teaching children how to stand up for themselves and advocate for themselves in today’s world which is why she loves what she does on the mat.
As her commitment to her training continued, she was given the opportunity to go through the instructor certification course under her teacher and put in over 600 hours of student teaching on the mat. On December 23rd, 2018 she was awarded her Englewood Krav Maga Instructor Certification as well as the Director position of the Kids Program. Ms. Lee utilizes direct teacher methods, visual learning and a constructivist approach at times in order to reach her multiple learners on the mat. She instills anti bullying training, character education, and boosts confidence and self-esteem in students to help them progress and work to the best of their ability.
In 2020, she achieved another goal she set for herself by becoming the first female blue belt under her teacher and continues on in her training journey. After suffering an injury in 2024, which took her off the mat, upon full recovery, she pushed forward and made a comeback, achieving her next goal and became a brown belt under her teacher. Her ultimate goal is to be the first female blackbelt under Sensei. She remains committed to her weekly training not just on striking and material, but constant practice in other ways of maintaining her own security and protection of herself and others. As a woman, she believes training in any discipline must be a part of everyday life in order to stay sharp and be prepared.
She now teaches in the Adult Program and stresses this importance to both men and women. She teaches alongside of Sir on the mat daily and works with adults on building proficient striking, better situational awareness and hand to hand combat. She works with students to help them become an effective human weapon because when faced with violence on the street, one must be ready.