| If you're a woman who interested in getting | | | | any self defense program - regardless of whether |
| effective women's self defense training that will | | | | it is designed for men, women, or both. |
| enable you to successfully protect yourself | | | | 2) Male-Female Strength Ratio - The "size-factor" |
| against a real-world attack - there are some | | | | that I talked about earlier is not what it would |
| important things that you need to know. The first | | | | normally appear to be. In fact, when you think of |
| thing is that, while many of the concepts and | | | | size, you probably think of the woman being |
| principles are the same, there are some critical | | | | physically smaller than her larger, male attacker - |
| differences between defensive training for men | | | | right? |
| and women's self defense! | | | | In reality, the strength factor is much more |
| Unfortunately, it's not always easy to find solid, | | | | important than size. Not that size is not a factor - |
| reliable information about self defense for women | | | | it's just very different. |
| and teenage girls. This is true in both the online | | | | Here's what I mean: The strength ratio between |
| world and off. One school-of-thought tends to | | | | a man's body and that of a woman is 7:3. What |
| make no difference between self defense for | | | | that means is that, if you had a man and a |
| men and women. This perspective says that an | | | | woman who were the same... |
| attack is an attack and the same techniques | | | | - Height |
| work, regardless of who's doing them. | | | | - Weight |
| The other primary belief is that there is a | | | | - Build |
| difference. Unfortunately, most of those taking | | | | - Fitness level ...and all things considered... |
| this view tend to limit their focus to size. While | | | | The man would still be two and half times |
| size is a factor, men very often find themselves | | | | stronger than the woman! |
| smaller, weaker, or less-skilled than their assailant | | | | Can you see why we can't rely on the so-called |
| as well. | | | | "size factor?" It's because, even if the size of the |
| So, size-aside, in this article, I want to shed some | | | | female defender was equal to her male attacker - |
| light on several critical differences in how self | | | | she'd still have a distinct disadvantage! |
| defense should be approached - especially for | | | | 3) Belief System - While both men and women |
| women. These differences, when lacking in a | | | | can choose to abdicate their security and safety |
| program that's supposed to be designed for | | | | to others, men typically know that, when |
| women - or to at-least include women's self | | | | face-to-face with an assailant - they're expected |
| defense issues - can actually put you at greater | | | | to fend for themselves. Not so for women. |
| risk than if you knew nothing at all! | | | | In fact, when the subject of self defense comes |
| Remember, the way you think about a given | | | | up, I tend to hear one of 2 typical responses |
| problem sets up everything else about the way | | | | from most of the women I encounter. The |
| that you'll go about solving that problem. And | | | | responses are either... |
| women's self defense is no different. That being | | | | - I'll just kick him in the "you-know-what," or... |
| said, here are 3 critical differences between self | | | | - "That's my husband/boyfriend's job" Regardless |
| defense for women and training offered to men. | | | | of the fact that a man's groin is a relatively small |
| 1) Attacker Intent & Strategy - In the realm | | | | target (no pun intended) and you have to be |
| of male-female interpersonal dynamics, there is an | | | | within your attacker's reach to effectively attack |
| area where the way we think about the other | | | | it, it seems to be the only thing women focus on. |
| gender, is a primary factor in how we operate | | | | Contrast this with the fact that men learned |
| without and around them. This is guided, in part, | | | | somewhere around the age of 3 or 4 that this |
| by gender roles that were learned when we were | | | | area was to be protected, AND the fact that |
| children. | | | | hitting the groin may actually infuriate him, rather |
| When boys wrestled, got into fights, and | | | | than shut him down, and you have the makings |
| participated in contests to see who was the | | | | of a bad strategy. |
| biggest, baddest, and best - this was seen as | | | | As for the, "it's my boyfriend or husband's |
| "boys just being boys." Girls were taught that | | | | responsibility," all you have to do is ask yourself |
| "hitting was not lady-like' and fighting was not the | | | | two questions to know whether this is something |
| way to solve problems. And, while it was usually | | | | you want to bet your life on. The first question is: |
| acceptable for boys to smack their friends | | | | "How many waking hours in a day are you with |
| around, it was never okay to hit a girl. While it | | | | him?" And the 2nd question is: |
| may come as no surprise, it still requires saying | | | | "Does he have the skills to protect you AND |
| that, attackers were raised in this same paradigm | | | | HIMSELF should something happen?" |
| and belief system. So, it should come as no | | | | All too often, we try to "excuse" our way |
| surprise either, that the male assailant will | | | | through certain problems. This denial or "escapism" |
| approach men and women differently when | | | | only works to distract us from the real issue until |
| seeking out victims of his attack. | | | | we come face-to-face with it, and are forced to |
| Generally speaking, men will most often be | | | | deal with it. |
| attacked where the goal is to "destroy the | | | | In the case of a situation that requires the need |
| enemy," while women are usually attacked in | | | | for skills designed for self defense for |
| ways meant to control, possess, and "take as a | | | | women..."too late" could be a position you can't |
| prize." | | | | afford to find yourself in! |
| This intention, or strategy, must be factored into | | | | |