Holy Family Parish presents self-defense class

Sep. 11—Holy Family Parish of Minersville hosted a free women's self-defense seminar on Aug. 15 at the Holy Family Parish Center at Hillcrest. Schuylkill Haven Police Chief Jeff Walcott led the class.

Walcott, a graduate of Minersville Area High School, is the owner of Anthracite Combat Club and a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu- jitsu. He was assisted by his wife, Lisa Walcott, and the Rev. Jason Stokes, Holy Family pastor.

Walcott is also a certified instructor in Gracie Survival Tactics, a revolutionary defensive tactics system based on Gracie jiu-jitsu that incorporates techniques into an easy-to-learn system designed to help officers verbally and physically de-escalate while humanely prevailing over resistant and/or aggressive subjects.

Walcott trains the police officers under his command in those tactics.

Lisa Walcott is a teacher at Schuylkill Haven Area Elementary School and is 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. Stokes has been training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for almost a year under Walcott at the combat club.

The event brought together 32 women, ranging from 16 years old to their late 70s, to learn 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." The ladies of the parish really enjoyed practicing the "big slap" on Stokes!