A Hawaii nonprofit is offering free self-defense classes for women during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, giving people skills they would normally have to pay for.

• Women Speaking Out is running the classes with Central Oahu Jujitsu, a partnership that goes back four and a half years.
• The classes are free on purpose, so cost does not keep anyone out; men can attend too.
• The techniques focus on escaping a grab or a choke and getting away, not on fighting back.
• Moves are taught so that size, age, or physical limits do not matter, using leverage instead of strength.
• The group also runs a mentorship program for at-risk teens and plans wellness events next year.

Outlook: A second free class is set for Maui on October 24, with more programming planned for next year.