COLFAX, Calif. (KTXL) – Stacey Councilman is not your typical 47-year-old woman.
“After watching some of the self-defense seminars that other people put on, I thought, 'This is what I want to do.' This is how I want to empower women,” the councilwoman said.
That was 14 years ago when she was living in Reading. Her story actually begins with her daughter.
“My daughter was 9 years old and had some social issues, so I wanted to get her into martial arts,” Councilman said. “I was interested in martial arts myself, so I got on the mat with her and we started doing martial arts together, and the rest is history.”
Stacey Councilman was a fast learner. She is currently a second degree black belt in Kung Fu Sansou, a four stripe brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and an advanced Krav Maga instructor.
“I love some things but I'm a jack-of-all-trades in a way,” she smiles, “and I've told myself all my life that if I'm really passionate about something, I can be the best at it.”
On Saturday (July 20), she will be inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I was recommended by two black belts, one from Georgia and one from Florida,” Councilman said, “When I started, there weren't many women, and now there are a lot of women who are taking up martial arts knowing that it can empower them and help them move past trauma and different experiences that have been traumatic in their lives.”
“So what we did was create a safe space for women to have community.”
