'Awareness is empowerment': Self-defence training for women launched by a family-run jiu-jitsu school in Blacktown

At a time when women’s safety and empowerment remain key concerns, a family-run jiu-jitsu school in Blacktown, Western Sydney, is helping women build skills that go beyond physical defence, focusing on awareness, prevention, and safer decision-making.

Women from Western Sydney take part in a jiu-jitsu training session in Blacktown aimed at building confidence and self-defence skills.

Key Points

• About 1 in 4 women (around 2.3 million women) in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Leading the women’s classes is Sherryl Lazaro, who says the program is built on the belief that every woman deserves to feel safe.
• The initiative offers women of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a martial art that focuses on technique, leverage and control rather than strength alone.
• Participants say the classes also create a supportive environment where women can connect, share experiences and encourage one another, strengthening not only individual confidence but also community ties.

Women from the community gather at Gracie Barra Blacktown City on International Women’s Day for a free jiu-jitsu training session focused on self-defence, confidence, and empowerment.

The Lazaro family, instructors at Gracie Barra Blacktown City, where they teach jiu-jitsu classes for the community. Source: Gracie Barra Blacktown City

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