OC LIVE invites you to join us for “The Lioness Within: An Evening with Graciela Casillas” on Wednesday, April 9th, at 6pm in the beautiful Oxnard College Performing Arts Building.
Oxnard College’s own Graciela Casillas joins us for a conversation after a screening of the documentary about her life, The Lioness Within. Meet Graciela Casillas, a pioneering, undefeated world champion in martial arts. Her story unfolds a hidden champion breaking barriers for women, embodying resilience, and embracing empowerment. A celebration of martial arts and a transformative teacher-student dynamic.
This is a FREE event that is open to the public. No tickets are necessary. Parking is FREE in Lot “H.” Find all of our livestreams and event information on the web at oxnardcollege/oclive.
Artist Bio:
Graciela Casillas is a Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee, "Woman of the Year," and Inside Kung-Fu Hall of Fame member. She has earned international acclaim as one of the world's top martial artists and self-defense instructors. Casillas’s 50 years as student, instructor, and professional competitor have given her an eclectic approach to the martial arts that she shares with students at home and abroad.
Casillas is the first athlete, male or female, to simultaneously hold world titles in two fighting sports — kickboxing and boxing. Casillas also achieved world champion status in Filipino stick fighting and was the first and only woman to be certified in the advanced level of instructor under the late Grandmaster Angel Cabales.
After retiring with an undefeated record, she spent the last three decades incorporating her knowledge and experience to formulate a highly effective street defense system. Her devotion to martial arts, coupled with two advanced degrees in Education, and Physical Education, has led Casillas to dedicate herself to the promotion of self-defense as a teacher, student, and accomplished writer and journalist.
Casillas has trained in a diversity of martial arts systems and is a certified Close Protection Specialist and graduate of Executive Security International (ESI), an elite school for executive protection specialists, and the Lethal Force Institute (LFI).
When not in training, Casillas, who retired as a tenured counselor, professor and department chair of counseling continues to advise college students as an adjunct at Oxnard College. As department chair of the physical education department, she developed a variety of courses for the department ensuring that students are able to take jujitsu, escrima, boxing, kickboxing, self-defense, and health courses, which transfer to any Cal State University (CSU) or the University of California (UC) for university credit.
Prime Video is currently airing a documentary on her life as a professional fighter: The Lioness Within Documentary and she also has published a women's self-defense book called The Lioness Within.
Oxnard College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
El Colegio de Oxnard no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, discapacidad, edad u orientación sexual.