For you who doesn't know me yet, my name is Jaqueline Almeida, for 3 years I have been teaching female Jiu Jitsu and Women's Self Defence at SBG - Straight Blast Gym in Ireland, in this text I am going to share some of my thoughts and experience of how my interest in coaching women's class came up and how important it is for me.

As I mentioned in my first article, I didn't have an easy childhood, I saw so many fights and arguments between my parents, my father left his health and athlete lifestyle to become an alcoholic person. Every time he drank, he was aggressive towards my mother, I remember of hiding behind my mother because I was afraid of him, my father was a good person. However, the alcohol destroyed his life. After I grew up, I did not want to keep those memories inside of me, so I decided to forget it and never ask or talk about it again.

So, with no relative thoughts about my past, I started Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, which I did for many years there, then I came to Ireland to study English and end up training Jiu Jitsu at SBG. After few months, John Kavanagh my head coach gave me an opportunity to conduct Jiu jitsu women's classes at the gym. I never had different expectations from the class apart from training session or to build a family environment. Well, I have to say is far ahead than it. 

After two horrific attack here in Dublin Ireland my coach made the following announcement to the public, which was FREE women's only BJJ Self Defence Classes, so we started every Saturday and continued so far. The classes are always successfully good, most of the ladies kept coming back and I felt and feel privilege for coaching it. I always put so much afford to give them the best I can, I absolutely love teaching, waking up on Saturday`s morning was a pleasure to me and knowing that there were women waiting to practice what I love the most there, it`s indescribable feeling. 

At that moment I just wanted to show how much Jiu jitsu/ self-defence are good and bring so many benefits but certainly I did not pay attention what it was hide behind of them, why they are coming back, why they got so much into it until I met Emma in the gyms' toilet, after introduce myself she said "Jaque, you have know idea how good you are doing it for all those women and I am here because of your class" which is remarkable for me. 

I did not understand at the time, but she said, I am going to send you something that will make you understand what I am saying. 

Now, who is Emma? And what she sent me? What was so significant to her about this class?

Emma she is an absolutely warrior and empower woman, who survived a breast cancer and experienced violence. She made a video diary of her life to say that she will keep positive no matter what. Her story was one of the Wingman episodes' in RTE and that was the reason of she is at SBG. 

Since when I watched the video dairy of Emma, my life, my thoughts have changed completely also, one day she joined the Ladies Self Defence Class and the memories came back to her, she started to cry and it was a heart broken.  

“I got into this for self-defence reasons. I was 18, I was badly beaten up in a street fight and I went into depression after it. “- Emma

After this episode went through many women came to me to share their bad experiences or life issues some of them came from anxiety, abusive relationship, bullying, depression or even curiosity to learn a new sport. I realized this class is not just a class, it`s an opportunity to share my skills to encourage each women to have more self-awareness, to have skills to protect themselves and obviously to be a family where women empower another women, and help each other to know how strong we are.

“Learning to fight back is empowering“- Emma   

To conclude, after one of my therapy session with Michael Coelho he brought back the memory that I mentioned at the begging of this text that “unconsciously“ I had forgotten about that I used to hidden myself behind my mother from my father, that’s the reason I am so passion about teaching Jiu Jitsu, Self Defence because I know rather than just bring self-confidence, it can save people's life. 

“If I can help one person in this world, then it's enough, and I have done my job“ – Diane Ladd