Twenty-five area women recently took advantage of a Free Advanced Women’s Self-Defense seminar offered by the Pella Police Department in partnership with Triumph Martial Arts in Pella.

“We are once again happy to partner with Chief McSheehy and the Pella P.D. to provide training to Pella-area women,” says Chris White, Co-owner and Director of Women’s Programs at Think SAFE Self-Defense, a division of Triumph Martial Arts.

Since joining the Pella Police Department, McSheehy has made it a priority to offer no-cost self-defense training to Pella-area women. According to McSheehy, “We started by offering Basic Women’s self-defense training, and that has been wildly successful. So we decided to offer something a little more advanced this time… including how to defend against punches and bear hugs, as well as options for protecting yourself on the ground.”

White and McSheehy agree that everyone – both men and women – should learn basic self-defense skills. “We are fortunate to live in a very safe community, but we can’t forget that things are not the same once we leave Pella,” reminds White. “Whether you travel out of state or just to larger cities in Iowa, you have to understand that the opportunity to find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation increases exponentially,” says Chief McSheehy. “It’s better to take steps to prepare yourself before you need it.”