Ventura martial arts gym sees rise in female participation

VENTURA, Calif.—After going through what she described as a rough divorce, Tayla Crissman rediscovered herself and embarked on a healing journey through jiu-jitsu at 10th Planet in Ventura. 
 
“It was super intimidating. I am 5’2 and 100 pounds. The average grappler is, I would say, a 6 foot 70 pound man. But this room has made me feel safe. It's made me feel respect, and it's given me some of the best friends I've had,” said Tayla Crissman, who works at 10th Planet.
 
The sport involves grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds. 
 
10th planet has intentionally set pricing lower for women than men to encourage more women to learn about the sport. 
  
“The biggest trend I've noticed since I've joined is a lot more women. We've had our women's program probably double in size since I joined. It's the best self-defense out there for girls…The reality of it as a woman for self-defense, I'm not going to be able to punch a grown man in the face without him easily attacking me back. The best bet is being able to get larger people off of me and be able to run away. And that's what jujitsu has taught me,” said Crissman.
 
The gym is trying to encourage more sign ups and is offering a free trial to anyone interested. 
 
“Since the beginning of the year we've had participation go up through the roof for us…. And I hope to see the participation stay consistent through the beginning of the year,” said Owner of 10th Planet Ventura Matt Dempsey.
 
The gym offers classes to men, women, and even has a children’s program.