The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net 

To help Bahamians lead better, healthier lives, the team at Jemi Health and Wellness is hosting a number of community programmes and events, particularly for the summer season and with a special focus on women’s self-defence.

These activities are aimed at reducing childhood obesity, promoting healthy aging, teaching women self-defence techniques and more.

First up this Saturday is the Senior Fitness Day at Jemi Fitness in the Seagrapes Plaza, featuring fitness and seniors yoga classes, and a discussion regarding the benefits and risks of exercising as a senior.

For the younger crowd, there is the Kids Shapedown programme to touch on obesity issues and the health risks of living a sedentary lifestyle.

The most recent addition to Jemi’s initiatives is the Women’s Self-Defence Workshop.

“At Jemi, our objective is to empower individuals, organisations and communities towards achieving improved health and performance. This can be achieved through ongoing health and wellness education, fitness training and highly specialised whole person and work/life balance programmes,” said Janette Martin-Isaacs, president of Jemi Health and Wellness.

Excited about the company’s first partnership with Empire Mixed Martial Arts for their Women’s Self-Defence Workshop, Mrs Martin-Isaacs said the team is anticipating future workshops targeting a wider demographic.

“Jemi was approached by Dr Kent Bazard from Empire Mixed Martial Arts because we offer a variety of wellness activities. This one in particular is focused on personal safety and therefore timely given the crime statistics in the Bahamas,” said Mrs Martin-Isaacs.

Dr Bazard said he is also looking forward to hosting more workshops and introducing women to the Empire Mixed Martial Arts programme.

“Our women’s self-defence course takes into the account the unique situations and concerns, and presents them with techniques tailored for women,” he said.

The next workshop will be held on May 27 at Jemi Fitness in Caves Village at 11am.

Dr Bazard said women’s self-defence has been of special interest to him since his mother became the victim of an assault in her own front yard. He believes crimes against women are often swept under the rug and that there are not enough opportunities for women to learn to effectively protect themselves.

“This workshop will introduce women to basics of self-defence and outline why women’s self-defence is unique. We want to raise awareness and hopefully spark their interest in pursuing the full course,” he said.

Highlights of the workshop include: stages of an attack; awareness of surroundings; identifying, avoiding, engaging, surviving; the physics of your base; basic strikes; falling safely; getting up safely, and ‘dangerous from the ground’.

“We hope to create enough interest so that we can establish our full 12-week course at Jemi at both locations, and soon their new location on Bay street. These seminars we will serve as a trial run. I truly enjoy teaching martial arts. I am confident that people will love what Empire MMA has to offer. What I look forward to most is seeing that expression of satisfaction on a student’s face once they begin to understand a technique,” said Dr Bazard.   

Jemi is currently also planning a Mind and Body month that will focus on stress management, yoga and Pilates programmes, therapeutic massages, benefits of saunas, and meditation.

And starting in June, Chiccharney Farms will be partnering with Jemi to offer locally grown, organic produce at Jemi’s Seagrapes and Caves Village locations to help facilitate and educate members of the public on choosing healthier options of locally grown food.