A Tulsa martial arts school is launching a series of self-defense classes for women.
The class, titled “Surviving Violent Attacks for Women,” is held once a month at Sheepdog Jiu-Jitsu.
Owner and lead instructor Blake Hayes said violent attacks are not something people can predict, but victims can survive.
“We're focused on what to do in the worst-case scenario, how to escape and how to protect ourselves and our children,” he said.
Hayes has been teaching martial arts in Tulsa for almost 20 years. His assistant instructor, Jennifer Frederick, has also had a career spanning more than 10 years.
“I enjoy this craft. I enjoy protecting myself and teaching other women how to protect themselves,” she said.
The new series of classes is open to all women.
“This class is for all women of all shapes and sizes. We want to help everyone,” Frederick added.
It begins with a discussion of common attacks that women encounter in their daily lives. The women then hit the mat and learn how to avoid attacks, defuse tension when attacks occur, and how to create space and escape safely if necessary.
“You just have to survive. You have to have space, get to a safe place, make sure you don't get taken to a secondary location, live to see your family,” Hayes said.
The next “Surviving Violent Attacks for Women” class is Saturday, March 2, from 2-3:30 p.m. Tickets for the class are $35 and can be purchased here.
Event information can be found here or on the Sheepdog Jiu-Jitsu Facebook page.
Sheepdog Jiu-Jitsu is located at 10846 S Memorial Dr. in Tulsa.
