Women’s Self Defense

Why I Started a Free Women’s Class at Dino Jiu Jitsu

By Coach Marie

Chi Omega Self Defense Night.

I remember the first time I walked into a Jiu Jitsu gym. Every guy looked like he was two fights away from the UFC rocking their matching nogi sets, sweaty, serious, and so intense. The testosterone was almost visible. Like, you could feel it hovering in the air.

It was overwhelming.

I eventually found my groove, but it took a lot of courage (and probably a few pep talks in the car before walking in). At the time, there were only a couple women training, and I remember thinking: Why aren’t there more of us? I didn’t just want to survive in this space I wanted to thrive in it. And I wanted other women to feel like they could too.

Fast forward to Dino Jiu Jitsu.

Here, I got the chance to help build something different. Something better. A place where women don’t just show up they belong. So I started a free Friday women’s class. No strings. No pressure. Just a space for you to move your body, learn something new, and maybe surprise yourself with just how powerful you actually are.

It’s not just a class. It’s a doorway.

My big dream? To grow a full women’s program here at Dino. I want that free Friday class to be your gateway drug into this beautifully complex sport. I want to see women of all ages and backgrounds walking through our doors and realizing they can do this. That they are capable. That they are strong. That they are, quite literally, hard to hold down.

I want the women of Dino to take over the gym.

I want us to be known as the gym that raises up fierce, confident, kind women who roll hard and laugh harder. This sport has changed my life. Now I want it to change yours.

Come try the class. No pressure, no creepiness, just Jiu Jitsu and a whole lot of women cheering you on.