In any community, a missing person is a tragic and scary scenario. Fitness Edge in Myrtle Beach, S.C. has decided to take action to alleviate some community members’ fears, while police continue the search for Heather Elvis, a missing 20-year-old from the area.
During the week of January 6, 2014, Fitness Edge hosted free women’s self-defense classes for not just its members, but also the community at large. The classes were led by Douglas Sarvis, a Tae Kwan Do black belt with 13 years of law enforcement experience.
“We’ve had a couple missing persons in the area, so we though it’d be great to hold free seminars for women on self defense so they can learn how to protect themselves,” explained Adam Crawford, the membership director for Fitness Edge.
Sarvis taught attendees various step-by-step self-defense moves and shared tips for escaping a potential threatening situation. The seminars were open to women over the age of 14.
“They felt a lot more knowledgeable after the seminar,” said Crawford.
Thirty-eight women attended the first self-defense class on January 7, 2014. A seminar on January 11 garnered even more interest, with 60 women attendees. As a result of the seminars’ popularity, “This is something we plan on doing for a regular basis,” said Crawford.
The next set of self-defense classes will occur in February (dates to be announced). In the mean time, members can take advantage of any of Fitness Edge’s martial arts-inspired Group X classes, such as Muay Thai, jiu jitsu and boxing.
By Rachel Zabonick
