FRANKLIN — It's not uncommon for people to give it their all on the mats at the Franklin Jiu Jitsu Club, but Wednesday night was a little different: It was all about the women.
“I wanted a place where women could come, train with other women and get their feet wet in martial arts,” said Felecia Bain, a federal law enforcement officer who started Girls Cave Jiu Jitsu self-defense classes for women.
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Katie Ray and Sarah Zailinga are club members who have been attending Girls Cave classes since they began a year ago.
Both have children who study jiu-jitsu, but said they never thought they would practice martial arts until they attended GirlsCave's self-defense classes.
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“Once you do it on your own, it's a very welcoming environment, and then when you experience it with other women, it's a whole different world,” Ray says.
“Starting with a women-only class gives you a sense of comfort and family and gives you the confidence to join other classes,” Zailinga added.
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Since then, Zailinga has joined mixed-gender classes and trains alongside her husband, who is a black belt.
Bain himself is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and an expert in de-escalation, armed response at all levels, and the legality of self-defense.
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She founded the club after realizing there was a need for a safe place for women to practice and learn self-defense.
“They understand both sides, the sports side for those who are really interested, and the self-defense side,” Bain explained, “which allows me to provide that information to the officers that I'm training, or the girls that come in, or whoever is my audience.”
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Since its inception, the women’s program has welcomed more than 45 women into its classes.
Learning how to protect themselves and their families is a major goal of the women's club, but Bain told WRTV it's about much more than that.
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“When you come in and know you can do something new, it gives you more confidence,” Zailinga said.
Women also say the classes help with mental health, stress and building self-confidence.
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“I feel really good and mentally great, and I think it's all thanks to this class,” Ray said.
“Kids learn self-control, self-confidence, how to stay calm under stress, and I think that's a really valuable thing they can learn,” Bain added.
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The Franklin Jiu Jitsu Club will be hosting a self-defense seminar next Saturday, July 27. All proceeds will benefit the Indiana Coalition to Prevent Domestic Violence.
We welcome participation from women of high school age and above.
