Courtesy photo Combat sports enthusiasts who attended a special jiu jitsu seminar with veteran Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight athlete Josh Parisian at Noc’s Combat Sports pose for a photo. Funds raised by the seminar were donated to Tri-County Safe Harbor.

ESCANABA — Noc’s Combat Sports, located at 919 Ludington Street in Escanaba, recently held a jiu jitsu seminar and donated all proceeds from the event to Tri-County Safe Harbor, a nonprofit that aids victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

Josh Parisian, a veteran Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight athlete, was an honored guest instructor hosted by Logan Triest and Jack Daurer of Noc’s.

The seminar, led by Parisian on Sat., Aug. 31, focused on no-gi Brazilian jiu jitsu, a variation of the sport that challenges competitors in a style different from traditional jiu jitsu.

A group from Lake Effect Jiu Jitsu in Negaunee made a field trip out of the event, cancelling classes at their school on that day so that all who desired could make the trip to Escanaba.

Tickets to the seminar were open to the public but at a reduced cost to members of both Lake Effect and Noc’s.

Parisian said that he personally had had to live at the shelter when he was a child, and “it was a rewarding feeling being able to give back to something that was there for me and my mother many years ago.”

The seminar raised a total of $560 for Tri-County Safe Harbor.