Karratha’s Primal MMA gym leads the way with new women’s self defence class

A martial arts gym in Karratha is teaching women self defence in an effort to build confidence and give women the skills to escape dangerous situations.

Primal MMA, on Sharpe Avenue, teaches a wide range of classes including Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts and also HIIT classes.

Its newest class though is teaching women’s self defence to empower females in the Karratha community.

The four-week course was the brain child of Jessie Jones, a resident who has studied martial arts for years and saw women’s defence as a passion project for her.

“I’ve done martial arts for a number of years and I’m always training with big guys and I’m always at a power disadvantage,” Jones said.

“So it kind of made me really think about all those women out there who have actually been in a serious situation, and how terrifying that must be.”

Jones said the course taught a variety of techniques to help women defend themselves and get away from dangerous situations.

“It’s something that’s really needed in the Pilbara,” she said.

“The rates of domestic violence and that sort of stuff here is not fantastic.

“It’s really about getting it out to as many people as we can in the community.”

Primal MMA founder Richard Eichorn said he was happy to help Jones set up the course because it fits in with Primal’s other classes and would help the community.

“I didn’t realise how much of a need and want there was in town,” he said.

“So once Jessie brought me this program, we thought about it and it just fit exactly into what Primal is about.”

Eichorn said the goal was to expand the program to as many people as possible.

Jones said they hoped to expand the program in the future to run mini courses in schools and take the course on the road to other towns.

“I’ve been involved in martial arts for a number of years now and to see the difference in people’s lives, mentally, physically, that come and do martial arts is just massive,” she said.

“You just see the huge difference that it makes in people.”