NORWICH — The Place and the Oneonta Jiu Jitsu Academy will be hosting the next Strong Women self defense class at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 23 in the Norwich High School Cafeteria, located at 89 Midland Drive in Norwich.

This free class is open to women and girls in Chenango County aged 14 and older, where they will learn self defense strategies based on the grappling martial arts style of jiu jitsu.

Oneonta Jiu Jitsu Academy Owner Wyatt Green said learning self defense can help women not only know how to defend themselves in the event of an assault, but also build confidence that will make them less of a target for attacks.

"I think somebody would be looking for somebody who’s not going to give them a whole lot of trouble," he said. "It's going to create confidence, which is going to make you less of a target. I think that’s one of the most effective things you can do in the first place to avoid these things."

He said the classes are suitable for women of all fitness and experience levels, as they teach introductory-level jiu jitsu techniques that focus on staying safe and escaping an attacker.

"These are really introductory courses meant to give some practical techniques and also provide an introduction to jiu jitsu," said Green.