WENDO: women's self defense

[Luther unleashed]

The biggest flaw I see in an all-women class is..who are they going to train with in these self-defense scenerios?

Women vs women?

BAH! That is just plain stupidity IMO. Is a woman going to grab you like a man would? Tackle you? Punch you?

I have always hated women's self-defense classes..except for one. They are motly a total waste of time IMO.

The idea isn't to train like karate, and give a life like situation! The idea is to give them information, and help to spark something in their way of thinking. I find your general attitude to be disappointing about it. In general when somebody posts their excitement about their oppertunity to reach others, especially those with no experience, I think it's best to post our opinions with less of a salty taste, and more of a supportive nature towards our forum friends. I also find your opinion that women training with women for a self defense situation for a man, a bit of a sexist statement. You know, when we train In martial arts and do drills, am I to feel my drills are not worth it because my attacker in the street is probably nothing like the more humble, and possibly nicer person in front of me? I happen to feel this way of thinking g could easily be called "stupid" IMHO!

It's highly unlikely I'll face a person in the street who know karate, so it's a waist of time to defend against karate drills as well I suppose. Why do we bother at all?

IMO...If you're taching a womens "self-defense" class aimed at women learning to protect themselves against men, it's rediculous to have your practice "attackers" women. Very seldom does a woman "attack" another woman like a man will. Very seldom does a woman grab like a man will. Very seldom does a woman have the strength or aggression that a man will.

I don't know what kind of martial arts drills you do in your class, but in mine the emphasis is on the attacker attacking hard, fast and strong..not tossing out punches, kicks and grabs lightly. I emphasise realistic attacks, not wimpy attacks.

Take just about any woman who has taken a couple weeks class of a womens self-defense program..wait about a week or two afterwards, bring them back and give them a man attacker that uses mid-level force in his attack, and I'll give you GREAT odds that that woman will FAIL to do anything in her own defense..anymore than she would have without previous training.

I have trained in different styles so there's not one way of doing drills I can say I do, as iv done different drills from different places and styles. As for "wimpy attacks" I don't see the point of somebody attacking hard in every situation. I teach kids, older people or anybody who wants to learn, I'd like to stay in Buisness as well as respect others health. My goal is to teach respect above all else which is something your post lacks.

My complaint about your post was the harsh words used like "stupid" and so on. As for what a class like women's self defense could do I'll say this. You are making your observation on how it won't work because they don't have a male to attack them. I personally have seen some great material on video and in books that I have tried in class to spice things up. Some hasn't worked well, but some has. There was no attacker to show it to me, learning doesn't need to always be accomplished from somebody attacking you, half of the defense is mental approach and self awareness. Nowadays everywhere I go women (people actually) are on their cell phones rather then paying attention. There's nothing wrong with helping people or women to understand how important some of these things are.

The issue is not weather I agree with your opinion, it's that you sounded like an agressive person with no respect for others who think differently, and rather then appoligise for your child-like harsh view, you continue to defend it. Im pretty sure you talking about this type of class the way you did is no different then telling me my hung gar Kung fu is stupid, because in your opinion what ever it is you do is better, and I take offense to your agressive verbage.

It's a shame. Respect towards others views is essential in creating a place we can all feel welcome.

[Montana]

Jyust to be clear here, I am NOT attacking you, or anybody else.

I have nearly 40 years in the martial arts and have watched many different systems teaching their arts, which included many different classes of "women's self-defense". It is my opinion, which I'm fully entitled to, that women's self-defense programs, for the most part, are a near total waste of time and IMO, can actually be dangerous to the woman participant because it will give them a false sense of security that they will effectively be able to defend thenmselves against an attacker after just a few classes.

As of the last I heard, this is still a free country (USA) and I have the right to my opinion, as do you. I am not attempting to insult you, or anyone else when I voice that opinion. If you think women's self-defense clsses have merit..good for you. I happen to disagree with you.

As for what you said about ..."Respect towards others views is essential in creating a place we can all feel welcome."..I don't see anywhere in my comments where I don't respect your views. I DISAGREE with your views.

[Luther unleashed]

Ok that good, let me be clear. Yes we can all disagree. I am personally not against or for "completely" women's self defense classes. If you read my post above your first post here, you'll see where I said I was asked to do a seminar, first time ever, and that I was excited because I'd like to see what I can do with it and offer.

I have 21 years in the martial arts, have studied several martial arts and used to fight in the streets as a misguided teen so my ideas about martial arts almost always started and ended with real world, and now almost always start and end with respect and how not to fight..

Lastly... IT IS A FREE COUNTRY! What kind of got under my skin was not that you disagreed, because I was not completely for the classes, as I said I'm excited to see what I can offer them. It was that you came on this thread after I expressed excitement saying it was stupidity, and I think that your general attitude was quite frankilly a bit of "stupidity"!

You can disagree with anybody, I hav t always agreed with people here, and I'm an outspoken person. The difference between us is, I suppose, that I know how to disagree withought calling people's classes stupid, or things like that. You are free to disagree as am I, BUT you are also free to chose weather to be respectful of have no regard for respect when you post. Thus far it's clear you choose the latter and I for one, am turned off by it. I could care less about the argument itself, I'll always be martial arts first, but I don't care for the lack of respect towards others potential views that came along with it. The first lesson in my class is attitude, you failed sir.

I have nothing else to say to you, because if you haven't acknowledged thus far that your attitude was disrespectful, and that you could have expressed your opinion with a greater sense of giving a crap about my views, the. Your probably not going to. I have chosen to be more respectful even after you opened the door for a different conversation, I can live with that. I'm done. LATER!!

[Luther unleashed]

Moving forward I'm still excited to see what I can do for my first women's self defense seminar. As I said if all goes well we will do it on a monthly basis so I'm interested to see.

I am always excited anytime I can touch peoples lives in a positive way using my knowledge, because as a man with a wife and three daughters I feel personal about its importance.