A ladies-only shooting club that meets every month in Norfolk, Virginia, is proving to be a hit amongst local residents.
According to HamptonRoads.com, Bad Brass Women draws women of all ages and backgrounds, but an interest in firearms is what draws them together.
“We share that fundamental interest: being able to protect yourself,” said founder and president Jessica Abbott, who started Bad Brass Women after a man attempted to attack her in a grocery store parking lot. She escaped unscathed, but the harrowing experience prompted her to purchase a 9mm Beretta, which she wears in a hip holster.
“It levels the playing field,” she said.
Bad Brass Women club members pay a $25 annual fee for training classes and range time. Members prefer shooting with other women, rather than go to local ranges, which are traditionally filled with men.
“It’s intimidating to go to the range,” Abbott said.
As HamptonRoads.com reports, Bad Brass Women has joined the likes of other female shooting clubs such as The Well Armed Woman, which started in 2012 and has 188 chapters in 43 states. The Richmond chapter hosts monthly classes on gun safety, maintenance and storage. A Virginia Beach range, the Colonial Shooting Academy, hosts ladies nights and classes designed specifically for women.
Bad Brass Women also trains its members in other methods of self-defense. Recently, Antwain Britt, a former professional MMA fighter who owns a gym and teaches self-defense to women, taught a class to the members of Bad Brass Women focusing on situational awareness and how to escape a dangerous situation.
