| If you're serious about women's self defense | | | | Again, I know how obvious that sounds, but there |
| training, regardless of whether the training is for | | | | is a lot of understanding that you will have to |
| you or for someone else, you must approach the | | | | recognize and develop under neither that |
| subject with knowledge and clarity. Without these | | | | apparently simple statement. |
| two elements - the clarity about what it's like to | | | | The point here is this... |
| be the smaller, weaker person, defending against | | | | You should not be learning techniques that require |
| a larger, stronger attacker coming at you with | | | | you to need as much as, if not more, in the way |
| hatred, rage, and contempt... | | | | of size, speed, or strength - as that of a man. |
| ...and the knowledge of how to use what you do | | | | Your training should not have you "muscling" |
| have to bring the attacker down, quickly, easily, | | | | anything to make it work. |
| and with the least amount of wear-and-tear on | | | | If it does - run! Don't walk - run away from that |
| yourself in the process. | | | | school, that program, and that instructor. |
| The problem, however, with most martial arts | | | | If the techniques, strategies, and tactics that |
| and self-defense programs is that they don't | | | | you're learning are not teaching you how to do |
| make any distinction between self defense for | | | | what you need to do, and be effective, with as |
| men and women's self defense training. And that, | | | | little effort as possible... |
| is a dangerous problem! | | | | ...if you are not learning to "fight smarter - not |
| If you're a woman, and your serious about | | | | harder," then you need to find something else. |
| getting effective women's self defense training, | | | | Because...if you have to struggle to make a |
| you must make sure that the program you're | | | | technique work in class, with someone who isn't |
| considering is either: | | | | really trying to hurt you - seriously - then how |
| 1) Designed with women in mind, or... | | | | are you going to be able to survive an attack |
| 2) Taught using principles and concepts - not rigid, | | | | from a brutal male assailant who has size, |
| unchangeable techniques. | | | | strength, and the element of surprise in HIS |
| I know that this sounds obvious, but it bears | | | | favor?! |
| pointing out: You are not a man! | | | | |