Do females make good MA?

[White Warlock]

Women are pyshical weaker than men. But most women in Wing Tsun outclass me, because they are more sensitive, they are more like water and I am hmm more like mud.

Agree with you 100% Thaegen.

 

You're more like mud.

 

 

 

(disclaimer for the admins - Thaegen is a friend. I.e., this is a friendly jab.)

[MenteReligieuse]

Men usually think that they need to prove their strength, and try to over power the other person. However, most females learn how to fight using their heads, thus making them better fighters. They have nothing to prove, and are willing to try the combos

 

Isn't what you just said two more stereotypes? I know I don't feel the need to prove anything.

[italian_guy]

I think that Women have, on average, more flexibility then us they are less tense and they tend to learn the technique with more patience rather then learn it and use it at full power, as soon as possible like we do.

 

Besides this I've notice a great interest about martial arts in women. In my karate class and also in my TCC class there are more women then men. However in my old Kickboxing class we had more men but still we had some women.

[AngelaG]

Isn't what you just said two more stereotypes? I know I don't feel the need to prove anything.

 

The problem with stereotypes is that they often come about when the majority is true. It's like cliches, used so often because they are so often true.

[47MartialMan]

A little tale:

 

The testing day, for a Black Belt, in one of many systems that I had studied, the test was privately scheduled.

 

Preparations were made by my instructor and I only knew that I had to perform many hsings (sets) and some sparring.

 

After, a serious of doing the sets, 9 of them, but left and right, which made it 18. All of them had to be done in consecutive order with only a 2-minute break, or shall I say "pause", in between. Needless to state I was exhausted.

 

Then came the sparring. This was not the usual that we had.

 

The instructor had a circular "ring" taped on the floor. The ring was about 12-14 in circumference.

 

(This is a approx, I have to look through my notes so long ago)

 

The object:

 

The BB candidate had to remain in the ring, no matter what, for a period of 5-6 minutes (ditto on notes)

 

There were two opponents, that can do anything to get the candidate out of the ring. Once outside, the whole BB test was considered invalid. Thus a re-take would be scheduled much later in time.

 

My two opponents, one "familiar" male, in his 30's. And a very unfamiliar female, near the same age.

 

Since I was younger (and a little naive), I had thought that I had youth over them. And I had also thought, that all I had to do was focus primarily on the male.

 

How wrong was I.

 

Within 2-minutes after tussling with the male, the female had kicked me so hard in the abs, that I had "sailed" completely out of the ring several feet and gasping for air.

 

Come to find out, she was the instructor's best female student and a sparring champion. Further, in the future, we had sparred and she is one tough cookie.

 

I came away wiser, to say the least.

[foreveryoung001]

Neat story 47MM. I just goes to show you should never underestimate anyone.

 

On this topic, from my perspective, I have two children that have been training with me for about a year. My 10-year-old daughter, and my 12 year old son. My son loves the training, he loves sparring, and he has taken first in his division in the last three tournys we've been to. My daughter, enjoys sparring, but is not passionate about it. In the last three tournaments, she didn't place in one, and took a 2nd, and a 3rd respectively. But, my daughter's techniques are amazing. Even with the basic strikes and kicks, she has a much more natural ability to grasp them and improve upon them. In forms, my daughter has place 2nd, 1st, 1st respectively, where as my son didn't place twice, and took a 3rd in our last one.

 

I don't think this is particularly the norm, but I think it shows that woman, even young ladies, can excell within the MAs.

 

I myself, much like you 47MM have had my clock cleaned by sever very good woman who I have come up against.

 

Anyone who thinks woman are not just as good, or even better than men in the MA in general (I'll qualify it as a general assumption) are not in touch with reality.

[Master Jules]

One of the things that Ive noticed about women in the arts, is that they seem to be able to pick up on the more "graceful" aspects of training.....for example.....have you ever noticed that when females perform certain kata, or techniques which require a more subtle and fluid movement, they are much more dextrous than men, who usually appear to be a lot "stiffer".......its not a flexibility issue, but a sensitivity towards the softer side of the arts......and life in general. In any case....thats just my thoughts on the subject.....

[MenteReligieuse]

Well it is a fact that in general, women are more dextrous than men.

[Melody]

I agree with the others. I think men feel a need to prove their strength, so they sort of flip out. Each gender just has its own mindset. I am a female, and the first time I sparred I did great, and had a good time, and that was all that mattered. I dodn't want to make a fool out of myself, but I didn't feel a need to prove anything. I was more concerned with correct form than anything. I just relaxed and let my instincts and training carry me through. I think it really has something to do with the personalities of male and female And I also agree w/ M. Jules b/c I find the more graceful quality within the art, but it really helps. You get your power from your form....but I also used to take dance, so that could play a role.....

[dear john]

given the right mind set most women would do good.

 

the only problem i have with people who say that women make better martial artists is that most (90%) i have met are not good fighters.

 

most of them seem to stray away from getting hurt and seem to get stressed in just sparring.

 

women may have a better tolerance for pain, but men are hands down more likely to accept pain. and i have never had a female opponent of my rank and until BB above my rankl beat me at grappling or sparring. but then again i have more dedication than anyone in my class, so i dont know how impartial i can be.

 

you people can argue all day long between the good and bad of women MA's and men MA's, but in the end it all comes down to who knows more, who has more training and who wants it more.

 

wanting it more than the other is enough to win alone.