The first of three workshops in self-defense for women scheduled for this week has proved to be so popular that it is already sold out. The workshop, which is appropriate for all levels of fitness and costs $30 per participant, will also be offered on Feb. 20 and March 6 at the St. John School of the Arts.
Taught by St. John resident Dulcey Rood, the class is sponsored by SASS Go, a nonprofit organization that has trained more than 27,000 women on four continents in self-defense techniques.
“We know that one in four women will experience assault or abuse during her lifetime,” said Brett Brown, one of the cofounders of SASS Go. In this two-hour beginner-level workshop, Brown said instructors are trained to teach the essential things a woman needs to know, whether she is assaulted while walking down the street or is facing an abuser in her home.
“We address the heart first,” said Brown. “Women will fight for their children and loved ones. Women need to know that they are worth fighting for and that they are capable of fighting for themselves.”
The workshop is described as being “trauma-informed,” meaning instructors are aware that some participants may have been through an attack and could be triggered by unexpected moves. “There are no surprises,” said Brown. “No one puts on a big suit and lunges at anyone.”
Participants do learn basic defense moves against abduction and strangulation, including hand and wrist grabs and ways to neutralize a threat. “The moves aren’t complicated,” said Brown. “Women can go home and practice them.”
Brown’s background is in crisis intervention and advocacy. She and cofounder Shannon Henry began offering training in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1997 to women who were experiencing assault, abuse, or stalking. They called their program SASS, which stands for “Surviving Assault, Standing Strong,” and in 2019 founded the nonprofit that operates today.
SASS Go offers more advanced levels of self-defense training, as well as age-appropriate classes for young girls; however, all three workshops currently scheduled for St. John are at the beginner level.
The workshops will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the St. John School of the Arts in Cruz Bay, an easy walk from the ferry dock. Participants are asked to wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes, like sneakers. Enrollment is through the SASS Go website.
Brown said instructor Dulcey Rood, a charter boat captain who owns her own business, attended an instructors’ training program last summer in Minnesota. “Dulcey is wonderful; we’re excited to be in the Virgin Islands through her,” she said.
SASS Go does not offer classes for boys or men but partners with organizations that work with males. “We’ve learned that martial arts are designed for men,” said Brown. “There are plenty of places that guys can go to learn, but there are not as many for women, especially for those who have little time to train.”
The organization’s goal is to help women gain confidence and learn the skills that will help them trust themselves if they get into a risky situation. One of the women Brown trained told her that she had recurring nightmares about an attack she had experienced, but her dreams had changed following SASS Go training. “In her dream, she fought back,” said Brown. “She got to rewrite her story.”
