| I have an unexpected relationship problem. It's | | | | knows at any time she may have to defend |
| hard to believe it has become such an issue but it | | | | herself against a man.The Chinese sage Lieh Tzu |
| has. The whole thing started very innocently | | | | told a story about a man who lost an ax. The |
| when my boyfriend and I were watching some | | | | man thought his neighbor's son took it, and in |
| silly action movie. The female heroine was kicking | | | | every word or deed of the boy, the man saw |
| butt, and I mentioned to my boyfriend I took a | | | | the actions of a thief. Then one day the man |
| semester's worth of judo classes in college and | | | | found his ax, and he no longer saw the neighbor's |
| could probably give him a run for his money.I was | | | | son as a thief.Your boyfriend is stuck thinking you |
| half joking. I didn't really think I could beat him. He | | | | have stolen the ax, his manhood. Actually nothing |
| has a pretty significant weight advantage over | | | | has changed since the time you first watched the |
| me and is an athletic guy. I'm not exactly a big | | | | movie together. Personal security expert Gavin de |
| amazon type of girl. I'm tall and slender. I jog | | | | Becker once summed up this whole situation by |
| regularly and work out a couple of times a week, | | | | saying, "At core, men are afraid women will laugh |
| but that's it really.Anyway, we got going, and to | | | | at them, while at core, women are afraid men will |
| my surprise I was able to fend off his initial | | | | kill them."It is time for you to retire from the mat |
| attempts to take me down. Then I caught him | | | | as an undefeated champion. The purse, his frail |
| off guard with a basic leg sweep and used other | | | | ego, isn't worth fighting for. He has a problem to |
| techniques to keep him on the floor and | | | | deal with, and it is his problem alone.Wayne & |
| eventually pin him. I thought it was fun and funny, | | | | TamaraChild's PlayMy problem is a love problem, |
| and so did he at first. We've had several "bouts" | | | | as most problems are. I've been in love with this |
| since, and I've beaten him every time.Yes, I | | | | girl for a year now, and I need to know how to |
| understand male egos are fragile when it comes | | | | make her mine. We are good friends and she |
| to these things, but I'm getting really sick of his | | | | finds me funny, I think. So maybe that could help |
| petulant attitude every time he loses. He seems | | | | me. I'm not much to look at, and she is. I've |
| to think it's impossible I can beat him, and he's a | | | | thought many a time to just go for it and kiss |
| real pill to be around when it happens. What am I | | | | her.RoryRory, I tried that with the girl across the |
| supposed to do--let him win? I'm proud I've | | | | street when I was four. It didn't work, and I |
| retained judo skills, rudimentary as they are, and I | | | | wouldn't recommend it past the age of four. Since |
| don't see why I should compromise just because | | | | you are good friends, you can tell her how you |
| I'm a woman.JodiJodi, your boyfriend is not | | | | feel. If she's interested, she'll let you know.A song |
| learning the lesson here. He is the athlete, but he | | | | by Bonnie Raitt says, "I can't make you love me |
| is untrained. You are trained, and you understand | | | | if you don't, you can't make your heart feel |
| how to turn your opponent's strength to your | | | | something it won't." That pretty much sums it up. |
| advantage. If anything, the skill of self-defense is | | | | Tell her what you feel, then accept her answer. |
| more valuable to a female because a woman | | | | |