A-State’s Office of Institutional Integrity and Title IX partnered with Gracie Jiu Jitsu for a women’s self defense workshop as part of dating and domestic violence awareness month.  The two-hour course was held to empower women and give them the confidence to set boundaries within relationships.  

Marlowe Thurman, a business administration student from Osceola, Arkansas, said the course will help women stay alert in situations they may not be familiar with and defend themselves from violence.

“I feel like this event was very insightful,” Thurman said. “A lot of students are in an unknown area and not familiar with their surroundings and this will help them keep their head on a swivel when out alone.”

The self-defense workshop was part of a week of activities planned by the Office of Institutional Integrity and Title IX to bring attention to dating and domestic violence. 

Other events included the My Personal Journal display, a candlelight vigil for victims of domestic violence and a discussion led by the Family Crisis Center about the early warning signs of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is not just about physical violence between people who are engaged in a romantic relationship, but any violence happening between two people who live together. 

“There are financial aspects to it. There are control aspects to it and so we want to make sure that we are informing the community on what domestic violence is,” Mosley said. 

Scenarios in the self-defense workshop were modeled on real situations that victims of domestic and dating violence might find themselves in.  

The course took a trauma-based approach to give students the information to recognize violent situations when they encounter them.

Austin Morgan, owner of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, said that setting boundaries is the most important part of avoiding domestic violence. They said learning Jiu Jitsu is a way for women to have confidence so they can enforce those boundaries once they are set.  

“Having the confidence to defend yourself through Jiu Jitsu will help you set boundaries so that you never have to use your Jiu Jitsu,” Morgan said.

Valentina Martinez | Staff Writer, contributed to this report

 

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