Rising Stars: Meet Mehronissa Modgil of Dallas/Allen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mehronissa Modgil.

Hi Mehronissa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Dallas, I began training in martial arts at a young age. What started as a fun and challenging after-school activity quickly became a defining part of my life. As soon as I was able, I began teaching—first children’s classes, then adults—covering everything from striking and movement to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and self-defense. Around 2010, I shifted my focus to Krav Maga and was drawn to its practicality and real-world application (though Brazilian jiu-jitsu will always have my heart!). I trained as consistently as possible—even while in law school—and eventually pursued instructor training. In 2014, while studying for the Texas Bar Exam, I began teaching Krav Maga classes.

After becoming a practicing attorney, the intensity and stress of the legal world made training and teaching more important than ever. Krav Maga became both an outlet and a grounding force—something that felt second nature. While I enjoyed teaching students who came for fitness, skill-building, or even for social media bragging purposes, I became especially passionate about reaching people who felt they needed these skills but felt too intimidated to try a class. As the world has grown increasingly frightening and violent—particularly for women of color—self-defense stopped feeling optional. I am of Asian descent; my parents immigrated from India, and that perspective shapes why this work matters to me.

In 2025, I joined The Podium, an organization for Asian American women lawyers in the DFW area dedicated to supporting members’ goals both within and beyond the legal profession. Through this community and its incredible support, the idea for Strike Village emerged as a passion project—one designed for people who may not feel confident enough to walk into a traditional self-defense class, but still want to learn practical, empowering basics. I partnered with a close friend and fellow Krav Maga practitioner, Elizabeth Quinn, and together we created Strike Village. Through our years of training and teaching, we noticed a consistent theme: many people—especially women—feel intimidated by traditional “martial arts” environments, which often keeps them from starting or sticking with training at all.

Strike Village flips that model. We invite participants to gather a group of friends, tell us their goals, and let us design a customized curriculum. We then deliver it in an approachable but challenging 2–3 hour seminar focused on real-world skills which also helps boost confidence. Though we’ve only been operating for a few months, we’ve already hosted two successful seminars—and we’re just getting started. With more planned for 2026, Strike Village aims to make self-defense accessible, supportive, and empowering for those who need it most.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been mostly smooth, though Elizabeth and I are learning a lot we didn’t know about starting a business. The biggest challenges otherwise have been balancing training/teaching with work and family obligations .

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Networking is essential if you’re building something and want people to know it exists, but of course it can be exhausting – especially if it doesn’t come naturally. What’s worked for me, especially now that I am in my 30s with much less of a social battery, is seeing it as relationship-building versus self-promotion. I look for ways to make networking enjoyable and connecting with people who genuinely share my interests and values. I feel that mentorship and opportunities tend to grow organically from those authentic connections.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strikevillage