Any other girls like this- or just me?

[glockmeister]

I think some of the fault lies with the instructor. A good instructor shouldn't allow screwing around and people not taking their training seriously. Maybe a different school is what's needed.

[SanShou]

i dont really have this problem- the girls in my class are in university, and one is in jr high, but they are all very disciplined etc- save one, who is in high school and very giggly. i just try not to get partnered up with ms giggly and it makes it better.

as for sparring... i tend to be really aggressive, but when i fight the girls i tone it down, but i really prefer fighting the guys. i havent had a problem yet about them not hitting hard because im a girl- i just hit them hard, and they hit back. just stick at what youre doing, or maybe talk to your sifu if it really becomes a problem

[Belasko]

I would have to say that the situation is largely a reflection of our society and specifically that of female teenagers in general. Girls usually aren't taught to fight or hit or anything that you get into in MA. However some of the best MA's I've seen have been women. I can specifically think of one that flat out intimidated me for a while before I got to the point where it was a very healthy amount of respect for her skill level. Keep up the work and you can achieve the same in your class.

[Myst]

I never really had any trouble with the guys not wanting to hit me because I started tkd during my "tomboy" phase, so I practically was a guy! Now that I'm older, the guys don't insult me by refusing to spar me, and they're not afraid to beat me up in a match. My advice would be to try telling them that you want to spar them and they shouldn't be afraid to hit you... If that doesn't work, then just fight them so hard that they can't help but fight back!

[Rateh]

generally in my dojo, if u fight someone who is particularly a lower rank, or weaker, then the rule of thumb is, u hit them as hard as they hit u

we fight fairly hard, but this makes it a bit more even, bigger students and higher ranks cant pick on younger then...

(and if they do, then sensei fights em hard to teach em a lesson )

all of the girls in my school are also as serious as the boys, so we dont have a problem with giggling or anything like that luckily

id say what everyone else is, just keep working hard and ull reap the benifits, and always aim to fight someone a little bigger/stronger/more advanced then u, thats how u learn

[CapitalKarate]

Generally in my dojo my sensei put the girls with the girls for sparring and guys with guys. He didn't want the girls getting hit somewhere inappropriate by a guy who wasn't trying to hurt them.

[mary_jane]

Elila, what style are you training in if I may ask??

[elila]

Thanks for all your replies! Now that the classes are getting much harder and it takes more willpower and endurance to keep up with the classes, a certain "weeding out" process has begun. Atleast 3 or 4 girls and about 5 boys have left because of this. Seriously, if they weren't so busy joking around...

Usually though, people leave after the first or second trial class, because they realize it isn't as easy as it looks.

Elila, what style are you training in if I may ask??

I go to Yong Sung Lee's Hapmudo Studios.

I guess you could say it's a Korean style, but really it borrows things from Kung Fu, Aikido, Judo, Tai Chi,Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do, and it uses a lot of weapons. Well not a lot when you're a beginner.I believe some of the locations (there's about 5) teach Kendo, but our location is too small, and doesn't have enough room for the equipment.

[CapitalKarate]

Glad to hear the classmates that aren't serious are leaving. At my school we started off with a lot of beginners, once we advanced 2kyus almost half were gone. It's amazing how little discipline people have, among other things.

[Tojiro]

I remember when I use to take tkd,I was in the same position.People fooled around and joined the dojo for just an exercise.

If I sparred 100 times there,80 of them were kids under the age of 10.

Ironically unlike your story,I left the dojo in search of something more...practical(not saying tkd isnt practical,just my old dojos way of training).