NORWICH — The Place has partnered with the Oneonta Jiu Jitsu Academy to bring the "Strong Women" self defense class to Norwich.

Classes will be held at 6 p.m. on the third Friday of each month in the Norwich High School cafeteria, located at 89 Midland Drive in Norwich. The first class is scheduled for Friday, September 20.

The classes are free and open to women in Chenango County aged 14 and older, and is led by Oneonta Jiu Jitsu Academy Instructors Christine Gould and Heather Knapp, who both hold brown belts in jiu jitsu.

Registration is required, and spaces are filling fast. To register, call The Place at 607-336-9696.

"Jiu jitsu, it’s a grappling martial art, so these are things you can do in close range when somebody is grabbing you, what you can do. If somebody grabs you from behind, if somebody puts you in a bear hug from the front," explained Oneonta Jiu Jitsu Academy Owner Wyatt Green. "If somebody tries to punch you or kick you, how to protect yourself, and in this case you stay close to them, because like I said, jiu jitsu is about grappling."

He said learning self defense techniques and strategies is a valuable skill for all women to have, as violence against women is a prevalent problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime."