Empowering women with self-defence

A MARTIAL arts instructor has brought his self-defence classes for women of all ages to Maiden Gully Community Hall.

Peter Jackson, a sixth dan in his martial arts discipline and a nationally-qualified instructor, said the classes are about more than self-defence, at a time where domestic and family violence is a community concern.

“I’m not going to turn them into someone who can just go out and beat people up,” he said.

“They’re getting strength, they’re getting confidence in themselves, and they’ve eventually got techniques they can use that might save their life.”

The classes run for an hour from 5.15pm every Thursday, where Jackson aims to teach skills and knoweldge women may need in how to fall properly, how to balance, gain more strength, defend themselves unarmed and with a cane

“Because of the current domestic violence problems, we need something,” he said.

Jackson runs the Kokoro Kai Health Centre in Maryborough and leads classes there for over-60s.

He said as he grew older, he had to think about how to share his knowledge and skills in a better way.

“I’ve been teaching martial arts most of my life; I’ve been in martial arts my whole life,” he said.

“I’m 68. I have arthritis everywhere and I’ve got to have a knee replacement and a spine operation coming up, so I’m only about 50 per cent of what I was.

“At this age, I can’t fight like I used to but I wanted to still teach, so I thought, what can I teach for my age group?”

He came up with the over-60s classes, but given the current climate said a restriction on age is less appropriate.

To be involved in the Maiden Gully classes, which have a small monthly fee, call Jackson on 0418 358 231 or just turn up at the hall.