MATTAPOISETT — For 8-year-old Ava Gagliardi and her mom Kelly, taking self-defense classes is a matter of health and safety, which Kelly describes as the “number one” priority for her family.

“It makes us feel better by knowing what moves to do if someone walks up to you and they don’t stop,” said Ava.

She even teaches her friends different self-defense moves she learned in class when they hangout.

Ava and Kelly attended the free self-defense class taught by South Coast Self Defense in Mattapoisett on Sunday, Feb. 16 and have been taking classes at their gym in New Bedford for about a year.

“I think South Coast Self Defense is amazing,” said Gagliardi. “They welcome all ages. They are a great community very accepting of all different fitness levels.”

South Coast Self Defense is a martial arts and self-defense gym opened by David Eaton in 2013.

“I never anticipated opening a gym,” said Eaton.

The self-defense trainer works a full-time job at the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health as an abuse investigator in addition to owning and operating the gym at night.

“I didn’t get into martial arts until I was 30, and it was because I was tired of the gym and working out,” said Eaton.

Eaton compares a self-defense class to insurance for life, stating that preparation and anticipation is key to safety.

“We have one life. We only have one chance. It’s not about being paranoid — it’s about being prepared,” said Eaton.

Women of all ages gathered in the Mattapoisett Knights of Columbus center gym where they were led through a series of exercises and scenarios that required self-defense. Optional donations were encouraged, with the funds going toward the New Bedford Women’s Center.

The South Coast Self Defense Gym prioritizes making sure their classes work for people of all ages and physical abilities, with Eaton often urging participants to adjust the exercises in ways that work for their bodies.

“We have classes for everyone and for different age levels,” said Eaton. “Our oldest student is 77. We have a lot of people who couldn’t go back to the gym or run because of back issues and knee issues so we cater the training toward people’s limitations because we want people to be able to feel better about themselves.”

Eaton encourages participants to recognize their own strengths and channel them when training.

“You might be smaller, you might be older and that doesn’t mean that you don’t have strengths in a situation where it’s speed, it’s decision making, it's just tenacity,” said Eaton. “We all have strengths. It’s just a matter of finding them and figuring out what they offer each of us.”

During class, Eaton informed participants about the reality of assault and how to better anticipate defending oneself in an emergency situation.

Women from the ages of 16 to 24 years old have a 25% chance of being physically assaulted by someone they know, according to Eaton.

“It’s someone who takes them out, takes them out to prom. For older people, it’s the people that we work with, the people in our neighborhood,” said Eaton.

Working in self-defense and mental health, Eaton understands he’s working with people who may have experienced past trauma and the experience may be triggering.

“I also ask that everyone be respectful, because you may be training with someone who does have a trauma history,” said Eaton.

The class in Mattapoisett featured three different defense techniques taught by Eaton, South Coast Self Defense head coach Bobby Dickinson and Mattapoisett Police Officer Lenira Lima. Participants learned to break free from hair pulling, bar grip chokeholds and getting grabbed from behind in a bear hug.

Attendees gathered into small groups, practicing sharp palm strikes and kneeing while taking direction from the trainers.

Eaton’s program emphasized self-defense instead of going on the offensive, stating the importance of “being prepared for a situation that may never happen to you.”

As the class wrapped up, Eaton took questions from the group about self defense where they asked about specific scenarios and learned more about what they can do to help themselves in a dangerous situation.

He also spoke about how this class is only a step in the process of learning how to defend yourself.

“As hard as everyone’s working and as attentive as everyone is, I don’t want you to leave here thinking, ‘now I can defend myself,’ said Eaton. “It’s just the beginning. You’ve taken the first step.”

To those who have never taken a self-defense class, he recommends starting in an environment where they feel most comfortable.

“I understand it can be intimidating taking that first class, but do it,” said Eaton. “Find the right place that you feel comfortable with. I just think it’s a great skill set but also a great workout as well.”