Holy Family Parish of Minersville hosted a free Women’s Self-Defense Seminar, and Father Jason Stokes, pastor, assisted with the class.
Father Stokes has been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for almost a year under Schuylkill Haven Police Chief Jeff Walcott, who led the class. Walcott is the owner of Anthracite Combat Club in Schuylkill Haven and a Second-Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was also assisted by his wife, Lisa Walcott.
The Aug. 15 class at the parish center at Hillcrest was attended by 32 women from age 16 to late 70s. They learned the basics of how to defend themselves, concentrating on situational awareness, combat base and stance, standard wrist release, stop-block-frame, and the “big slap,” which the women of the parish really enjoyed practicing on Father Stokes.
Walcott, a graduate of Minersville Area High School, is also a certified instructor – and trains the police officers under his command – in Gracie Survival Tactics. The defensive tactics system, based on Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, incorporates techniques into a system designed to help officers verbally and physically de-escalate while humanely prevailing resistant and/or aggressive subjects.
Lisa is a teacher at Schuylkill Haven Elementary School and a certified instructor in the Gracie Women Empowered program. She leads women’s self-defense classes and is a Blue Belt under Chief Walcott at Anthracite Combat Club.
For more information about the club, go to facebook.com/AnthraciteCombatClub.
Photo at top: Father Stokes, right, assists with the class.
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