Lemoore gym teaches women self-defense through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

LEMOORE, Calif. – At Ochoa’s Combat Academy, the focus on self-defense for women isn’t measured by the size of the class, but by the physics of the fight. In a sport dominated by men, the curriculum for women centers on using techniques over raw strength to defend themselves.

The techniques they’re learning originate from the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Called BJJ for short, it was designed to help smaller, more vulnerable people defend against larger, stronger aggressors.

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women have been sexually or physically assaulted in their lifetime.

Owner, coach and third-degree black belt Mike Martinez says the skill set earned through BJJ classes shouldn’t be under-estimated.

“We have 14 year-old kids training here, that I would be willing to bet could easily defend themselves from untrained full grown men,” Martinez said.

A 2025 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that women who participated in self-defense training experienced lower rates of attempted and completed sexual assault compared to those who did not receive training.

Martinez says, the cost of a monthly gym membership is far less than the lifelong emotional trauma that accompanies the physical trauma of a sexual assault.

Kendall Franks is a teenager who has been practicing BJJ since she was 7-years-old.

“If a situation happened, I feel confident I could handle it,” Franks said.

As of now, there aren’t that many women taking the opportunity to learn the self-defense techniques offered at Ochoa’s Academy, but Martinez said that shouldn’t stop anyone from empowering themselves.