[dscott]

I'm toying with the thought of approaching my instructor to teach a self defense class for my wife and her friends. The only thing I'm skeptical about is his experience with this type of thing. After all, women's self defense is a whole other style.

What are your experiences with women's self defense classes? Anyone ever taught one? I know there aren't many girls here but anyone ever attended one?

Also, it's not something that you would charge for right?

[zefff]

Id imagine the main problem is that a little knowledge can be more dangerous than none. Its like Des said on another thread, learning how to avoid becoming the selected victim is what its all about. Not any techniques or training.

Women same as men and children who are concerned about their saftey need to think about what situations they place themselves in and how much of a risk are they taking at any one point in time.

I personally dont have a high regard for self defence classes at all really because they almost always seem to focus on techniques and escapes such as "if he does A, you should use B" rather than streetwise strategy, common sense, mental agility, adrenaline and emotional stress etc.

Can a self defence class really make people emotionally ready for dealing with the worst kinds of animals? Its wise IMHO to consider that for them to be attending the course in the 1st place, they must already percieve their own weakness. The mind drives the body so for any course not to be a waste of time it needs to empower the mind.

[dscott]

I agree that you have to teach everyone about your surroundings as well. But for you to say that a little knowledge is more dangerous than none is a bit off. I understand that one class isn't going to make you indestructable. Even the most seasoned martial artists don't feel like they can take on anyone. What I'm saying is that if you teach them the proper way to strike, where to strike, etc....and also teach them ways of avoiding a conflict, then one class is better than nothing. I feel that you also have to let them know that they shouldn't feel like they can take on a rapist after one class (or at all for that matter).

[The BadBoy]

I agree 100 % with Zeff. Awareness. awareness, awareness. This should be the majority of the teaching. Techniques should be secondary and very basic fundamentals. If the class doesn't emphasise awareness above all else. It's probabaly not a good one.

[bamboo]

Like its been said a million times, its all about situational awareness.

The wife attended a womens only SD class and shocked by the propoganda being spewed. She said if anything it simply made people paranoid, BTW, the instructor was a male.

BTW, I was asked to teach a class at work for the ladies in my section but refused based on my below arguement.

I really believe that women's self defense should be taught by women. Men cannot possibly understand how women think or (re)act physically. Having a big man show a bunch of small women how to fight is silly to me, like a lion teaching a squirrel how to hunt, its just not the same tools or experience.

Why not have the wife join your class? Great fun and you get to spend time out of the house together.

Best of luck my friend!

-bamboo

[Tease T Tickle]

The thing that I love most, and I'm being sarcastic if you couldn't tell, is when some guy starts a SD class for women and focuses on how not to get raped.

According to recent studies undertaken by my own university's behavioral sciences department puts the incident rate of date rape (using coercion or drugs rather than force) accounts for about 85% of all rapes. Stranger rape, or assault base raped, accounts for only 5%. The remaining ten percent include non-coital rapes (non-consensual oral sex, for example).

How exactly are you going to teach women to karate chop GHB out of their system?

Zefff et Al. are right about awareness and not being a target, but some simple education goes a long way. For example, the most common form of violence against women is spousal abuse, not armed robbery. Teaching a woman to defend herself from an abusive husband entails emotional empowerment and a divorce lawyer, not muay thai kicks or jiu jutsu joint locks.

[Gong||Jau]

Let's be honest: there is very little, if anything, that a 120 lb woman can do to stop a 200 lb man from dominating her physically, especially if he's angry, and since he's probably armed. I wouldn't bet on the woman in that situation were she a highly trained martial artist, and in my opinion the stuff taught in "self-defense" classes is totally worthless. If you think a mugger/rapist doesn't expect you to try and kick him in the nuts, you're delusional. If you think you can even make contact with his eyes, let alone damage them, when his face is practically out of your striking range to begin with and you're probably positioned badly to be doing any striking, you've been lied to. If you think you're going to dig through your purse, somehow find your mace, not drop it, and manage to aim it at him, then actually hit him with it, you're falsely empowered by a weapon that isn't that useful. Stay out of the situation to begin with.

Also, as Des mentioned, very, very few women are raped by a serial rapist. The vast, vast majority are raped by an acquaintance, and most of the others are opportunistic.

[wuming]

I don't want to sound like an ass, but I know this is going to sound very sexist. My girlfriend got some mace when she started college a couple of years back; and if someone attacked her and she tried to use it, I picture her just freezing up from fear. The attacker's greatest advantage is the fear he can instill in someone. I think if anything, the most important thing in a woman's self defence class, or any class for that matter, should be to get over the fear. A couple quick lessons in you should do A if B happens will not help. It would probably be better if they just enrolled in the normal class and participated in all of that instead, especially the free sparring.

And Des has a point too. Awarenesss and "street smarts" are going to be the most important lessons in those situations.

And I also thing GongJao hit a great point too. They would probably be better of just enrolling in a normal martial arts class and dedicating themselves to that. If someone is greatly overpowered by their attacker, they are not going to be able to use force against force. In this case the weaker opponent's best weapon is their speed and setting up an optimal angle to defend and counter from, which is best taught in a full martial art class.

[8LimbsScientist]

The other thing that bothers me is these classes are usually short in nature and are just kind of "crash courses."

For a woman to overcome the size advantage (when its small enough to be overcome at all) against a man, she needs to make training a part of her lifestyle. There are women who are professional fighters who I'm sure could handle themselves against an average sized man in a fight. But you can't show an out of shape woman a few eye gouges and techniques and expect her to be rape-proof.

[dscott]

Originally Posted by wuming

I don't want to sound like an ass, but I know this is going to sound very sexist. My girlfriend got some mace when she started college a couple of years back; and if someone attacked her and she tried to use it, I picture her just freezing up from fear. The attacker's greatest advantage is the fear he can instill in someone. I think if anything, the most important thing in a woman's self defence class, or any class for that matter, should be to get over the fear. .

I completely agree with everything that everyone is saying but what is the difference between men and women and their "fear"? I know that I don't train how to overcome fear and I'm sure that many of you also don't train it. It's something that you have to take care of yourself.