Lowcountry Self Defense Club
The Lowcountry Self Defense Club is a non-affiliated club that focuses on the self-defense aspect of submission grappling, jiu jitsu, catch wrestling, judo, and other martial arts. Meetings will hopefully be held at the downtown YMCA in Charleston (on Cannon Street) once all of the details have been sorted out. In the meantime, we will likely be meeting at parks in downtown Charleston. Stay tuned for details.
The Lowcountry Self-Defense Club has three primary goals: (a) host free self-defense classes for women in the Charleston area, (b) provide free co-ed self-defense instruction for those who are not getting self-defense at their home gyms, and (c) host seminars with nationally and internationally recognized jiu jitsukas (which will help fund the free classes). I am also hoping to team up with some psychologists in the area to offer jiu jitsu to people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. But first things first! If you live in the area, please consider joining us. We're coming to beaches, parks, and community centers near you! If you'd like to help, please drop me a line!
I plan to get the Lowcountry Self Defense Club registered in both SC and with the IRS as a 501c Non-Profit. In the meantime, I want to get started sharing self-defense and jiu jitsu with the local community. This will take resources and money--which is where you come in! Here is what I need to get things started:
$800 for puzzle mats (which will give me a 20 x 20 square). The benefit it that these mats will give me a "mobile dojo"! Whether we set them up at the beach, at the park, or at the community center, we will always have somewhere to train.
$500 for $1million in liability insurance. This is so I don't lose the house trying to teach self-defense for free in the local community.
$500 for a trailer and hitch that will enable me to transport the mats (while keeping them dry)!
$500 which will pay for the first five weeks of meetings at the YMCA. Hopefully, donations and optional drop-in fees will eventually cover these fees. But it is $50 per hour to rent the gym at the YMCA. So, I would like to have some money stashed in advance to cover the first few weeks.
This leaves me with a $2,300 shortfall. In the coming months, I will be spending plenty of my own money to pay the IRS fees, pay for rental space, etc. But I thought that since I am trying to do something positive and constructive for the local community, I could try to crowd fund some of the initial costs.
Not only will good karma hopefully come your way if you contribute, but you, your partner, your children, and your friends will be able to study and practice self-defense for free in a safe and inviting environment!
Those who know me, know that I have a passion for teaching not just philosophy but also jiu jitsu and self-defense. This project is my attempt to accomplish a goal I have long wanted--namely, bringing free self-defense lessons to the public. Please help if you can!