Sunday, February 16, 2025
HomeSPORTSCOACH HELPS VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE FLIP THE SCRIPT

COACH HELPS VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE FLIP THE SCRIPT

Photo By Alicia Rivero / Staff

FIGHTING FOR INNER PEACE—Alliance BJJ Eastlake teaches children but also women who survived violence.

By Alicia Rivero

Mariah had something taken from her when she was assaulted. Even though he is a man, Elias Gallegos said he understands the feeling.

Gallegos is helping women like Mariah to fight back and reclaim their confidence in a world that has beaten them down. Martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu—a preparation for battle—can actually help assault victims find the road to peace.

One in four American women experience some form of violence and one in five women have been raped.

Practicing a male dominated martial arts form can be intimidating bordering on the unthinkable for many survivors. Benefits, however, can outweigh the doubt, according to Gallegos. Martial arts used for self-defense, he said, can be tremendously empowering.

Gallegos, owner of Alliance BJJ Eastlake and a black belt with 20 years experience, welcomes people he meets with warmth and enthusiasm. He is not a typical sensei. His background is rife with crime, juvenile jail and drugs. More than most people he understands the strength and intention it takes to endure life’s ups and downs. Healing, he has learned, is not a moment of clarity, but a process. 

His non-profit Eastlake Jiu Jitsu Foundation, a nonprofit organization describes itself as “a 501(c)(3) that gives hope and healing to veterans suffering from PTSD, female victims of domestic violence and at-risk youth.”

Gallegos said the program for survivors of rape and domestic violence developed from his own experiences, including a presentation he made at a shelter for survivors of domestic violence.

“I was taken back in my memory to when I was a kid,” he said. “Me, my mom and my younger brother had to leave the house and go to a hotel. Seeing those kids (at the shelter) shot me back to being a kid. It was a surreal moment for me and I (realized) there was so much more I could do.”

His program for survivors of rape and domestic violence offers any women who is a victim of domestic violence or rape free training for life. Women just need to buy a gi and show up.

Women who join the program remain anonymous to the rest of the gym members.

“Just come in and train, meet other women,” Gallegos said. “There is counseling if you need it. Just come and feel safe with your brothers here.”

Women who work out at Alliance BJJ Eastlake said Gallegos and his team makes it feel like women are welcomed into a special community.

“I run my gym very differently,” he said. “I run my gym like a family.”

Many gyms have a much less friendly reputation with members that hit on women. Gallegos said he wants women to gain “big brothers and sisters” who will protect and support each other.

Survivors of domestic abuse or rape who find it very difficult to enter a male dominated sport may practice Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu in women only class Tuesday for six months of the year.

“I want hope, health and healing,” Gallegos said. “I don’t want women in the program to feel like they have to be scared their whole entire life. There is a process and grieving moments that we go through. There are seasons in our life. My goal is for (survivors) to be whole again.”

Healing from any type of mental or physical abuse can be a long-life process, Gallegos said, but practicing a martial art can help women gain empowerment, better health and a community.

Mariah said Jiu Jitsu has helped her and other women learn how strong they really are.

“To heal from any type of mental, emotional or physical abuse,” she said, “it is necessary for survivors to reclaim their power. Just like in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, life will constantly have take-downs, but the key is to always get up and fight back. Do not accept defeat. One thing you learn about life is you do not accept defeat. You must get back up every time and you fight harder.”

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -
Google search engine

Most Popular

Recent Comments

Cecilia Cisneros on SET SHOT SUPERHERO