Defending yourself from an attack can be difficult, but your prospects improve with knowledge of effective techniques.

Third generation Gracie jiu-jitsu master, Rener Gracie, has made it his purpose recently to empower women with just such techniques.

Gracie travels across the country teaching self defense and combative techniques to law enforcement, military and civilian personnel. Recently he decided to begin sharing his knowledge specifically to the women in the military.

Sergeant Jose Marroquin of the 627th Security Forces Squadron contacted Gracie and asked if he would come to Joint Base Lewis-McChord from his home in Torrance, Calif., to teach the women of his squadron the Women Empowered comprehensive self defense course.

Gracie, along with World Wrestling Entertainment diva, Eve Torres, and Bellevue police officer, Craig Hanaumi, assisted with the class Sept. 15 at the squadron gym on McChord Field.

"I wanted to offer something for women without fear or being timid of doing it in front of males," said Marroquin, who teaches combatives on base.

About 40 of the more than 200 Airmen in the 627th SFS are women, of whom 25 participated in Gracie's two-day, eight-hour course.

Gracie is the second eldest grandson of Grand Master Helio Gracie, the creator of Gracie (Brazilian) jiu-jitsu. Rener's father, Rorion Gracie, created the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993. The following year Rorion started the Women Empowered program. Rener and his older brother, Ryron, became head instructors of the Gracie Academy organization in California 10 years ago. Over the years the Gracies have refined the course based on feedback from law enforcement professionals and survivors of sexual assaults.

"We apply our principles of leverage, time, efficiency, patience over the 85 years of training to these very specific problems for women and they've worked just fine," Rener said. "It's a modified form of jiu-jitsu for women."

Staff Sgt. Karla Wilson of the 627th SFS went into the course thinking she would be taught techniques similar to those she learned in basic training, techniques she said that weren't practical if she had to defend herself against a male. "(Gracie) gave me moves I could use on someone who is bigger than me, not just someone who is smaller than me," she said.

Gracie covered 10 of the 15 core lessons in the two-day course and taught a variety of defensive moves. He hopes other squadrons will hear about the program and want to introduce it to their female Airmen. Gracie said he hopes to return to JBLM to teach a class of 70 women.

"We're very honored to be here and I think it's just the beginning of a long relationship," he said. "What about the other women in the other squadrons? The other squadrons need to be exposed to this because this is life changing."

During their two days in town, Gracie and Torres also taught the course to women in the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission in Burien. Gracie and Torres left the squadron with the DVD set of their Women Empowered program so the women could continue to practice the moves on their own.

For information, visit www.gracieuniversity.com.