female segregation

[Valithor]

girls can do anything the guys can go

 

Spoken like a girl

[GrrrArg]

Tut Tut Valithor, do you guys do the self defense seminars over in Australia or just in-corporate it into normal lessons? because we are starting to do this more often now.

[Treebranch]

tenguartist guys taking it easy on you is their hang up, that's not your problem. If I were you I'd go harder on them.

[IAMA_chick]

yeah. i'm in a mixed martial arts program and it is good because i can practice my self-defense on guys as well as girls. it works well.

[tenguartist]

hey treebranch, im a dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UsagiYojimbo]

I know I'm joining the conversation late, but here's my 2c. I had always thought the purpose of female only self defense clubs was to keep what they learned a secret. Like, most guys on the street who attack a girl aren't going to know that she's going to come back with a poke to the eye, etc. However, if they'd practiced with women in a rape defense class, they would know, and be able to learn to defend against that. Stupid idea, I always thought, but perhaps I was wrong.

[GrrrArg]

hey treebranch, im a dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

LOL

 

Don't worry I realised.

I had always thought the purpose of female only self defense clubs was to keep what they learned a secret. Like, most guys on the street who attack a girl aren't going to know that she's going to come back with a poke to the eye, etc. However, if they'd practiced with women in a rape defense class, they would know, and be able to learn to defend against that. Stupid idea, I always thought, but perhaps I was wrong.

 

That may be one in every hundred rapist that has martial arts training though so it is unlikely for the guy you train with to be a rapist, not saying it couldn't or doesn't happen but most rapists tend to be very anti-social because they are predators, doing self defense drills with a guy would teach a women not to be prey.

[monkeygirl]

Two-week-long self-defense classes for women only are one thing...usually they're beating up on a Redman suit or something like that. It promotes the whole "girl power" kind of feeling, and is pretty empowering. I also know of cases where men being in the classes can be pretty creepy. It's one thing to have another woman on top of you in a simulation of a rape attack, and quite another to have a man. Women need to feel secure, relaxed and confident during these classes, and they will learn better. The situations can be recreated quite accurately enough with bodysuits and drills.

 

HOWEVER, when it comes to MARTIAL ARTS training on a long-term basis, classes should be integrated. For one thing, men tend to fight differently (note: not necessarily BETTER, just DIFFERENT) from women. Untrained men will naturally have more power than untrained women. As far as sparring goes, it just makes sense to have women fighting men. On a more personal level, I've always had more guy friends than girl friends, so I would DIE in an all-girl class!

 

From the guys' perspective, fighting women still makes sense. If a skilled male fighter "goes easy" on a skilled female fighter, the man will get his clock cleaned right away! It's very much a respect thing, and a lesson in humility. Because women are generally of smaller build and frame, they tend to be faster and more flexible, which can provide a unique challenge to men.

 

In my opinion, integrated classes just make sense.

[GrrrArg]

Its not only men in MA classes who can be creepy, I've come accross my fair share of weird women in class before. *Shivers*

[major_motoko]

There was a woman in my shotokan club a long time ago. She was soo quiet you could barely make out what she was saying when she talked to you, and she couldn't look people directly in the face. I guess she was ultra shy.

 

But, boy when she sparred she was good! We used to spar all the time as we were the only two females in the high grade class, so we were often partnered up. She nailed me many times with her front kick which was very fast and very powerfull.

 

Funilly enough she ended up going out with a boy in our club, who was also ultra quiet and shy, so I guess they made a nice couple

 

I'd say she was the strangest person I've ever met in karate

 

People probably think I'm weird tho.. a girl who actually likes sparring with men and training with a big katana

 

motoko