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Glennville Jiu Jitsu Club teaches women the art of self-defense
Female Self Defense course held on Oct. 1 sponsored by Glennville Rotary Club
Front row (L to r): Brooklyn Waters, Aubrey Ray Sheffield, Monica Contreres, Susana Hernandez, Zoe Gonzalez, and Belen Oliver. Back row: Ayla Owens, Dixie Waters, Glenda Bland, Renee Dixon, Eva Gonzalez, Donna Boyett, and Angelynne Sheffield.
Front row (L to r): Brooklyn Waters, Aubrey Ray Sheffield, Monica Contreres, Susana Hernandez, Zoe Gonzalez, and Belen Oliver. Back row: Ayla Owens, Dixie Waters, Glenda Bland, Renee Dixon, Eva Gonzalez, Donna Boyett, and Angelynne Sheffield. - photo by Sarah Smith
Renee
Renee Dixon and Belen Oliver show the class basic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu moves. - photo by Sarah Smith

Renee Dixon of the Glennville Jiu Jitsu Club proudly taught eleven women the basics of self-defense at a two-hour class on October 1, 2022. 

The Female Self Defense course was sponsored by the Glennville Rotary Club, making the course free of charge for participants. Dixon has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for over three years and is a blue belt. 

The first half of the class, led by Dixon and her assistant, Belen Oliver, was an introduction to the basics of self-defense, and the second half of the class was focused on escaping violent attacks. Dixon taught the women, all ages, eight different ways to escape different attack positions during the course. 

“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is grappling and ground fighting… we work on taking other people to the ground and really controlling them. That is why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the best forms of self-defense,” Dixon said. 

Dixon was a legal advocate for a domestic violence shelter and worked with many victims. She stressed the importance of being aware of your surroundings when in public, especially alone, and when any domestic situation gets out of hand. 

“Most women would not have any idea how to protect themselves. Their livelihood revolves around their ability to escape their attacker. This is where experience and training kicks in,” Dixon said. 

Not only is Jiu Jitsu useful in self-defense, but it is a great work out for the entire body. If you are carrying a weapon, an attacker could take that weapon from you and use it to harm you. If your body and your Jiu Jitsu training is your weapon, an attacker cannot use that against you, according to Dixon.

“I really enjoyed teaching these women how to defend themselves in situations involving violence. The participants enjoyed it as well,” Dixon said. “This was our first time hosting a self-defense course at the Glennville Jiu Jitsu location, and I would be more than happy to host another one.”

The Glennville Jiu Jitsu Club is located at 109 East Barnard Street downtown. The club first began in 2008 under the instruction of Trent Sikes, a fourth-degree brown belt. Sikes trains under Quentin Rosenzweig of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu of Savannah.

Classes offered for Jiu Jitsu are: 

Women’s Only (Ages 14+ Beginner) – Mondays at 6:30 p.m.

Co-ed – Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m.

Kids – Fridays at 6 p.m.

Open Mat (Adults only, all levels) – Fridays at 7 p.m.

Southeast Georgia Judo classes with Michael Brown are held on Tuesdays and Thursday, 6: 30 p.m. for the kids’ class and 7:30 p.m. for the adult class.