In the world of women’s self-defense training, there are two generally accepted “schools” of thought. Unfortunately, both take extreme viewpoints and are usually founded on nothing more than the so-called “expert’s” beliefs. Without real-world experience, and instructor teaching self-defense to anyone, but especially to women, is quite likely putting their students in severe danger.
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Women’s self defense issues are constantly in the news and a ‘hot’ topic for conversations. It seems that everyone from police officers to karate instructors has his or her own philosophy and theories about the how’s and why’s of self defense for women and girls.
The truth is though, that many of the same techniques and tactics taught to men for self-protection simply will not work for a woman. Why?…
… because attacks perpetrated on women have, at their foundation, certain inherent problems, issues, and conditions that are often very different for men who find themselves in defensive situations. Women have to deal with things that, quite frankly, men don’t.
Click on the link at the end of this article to get more information about real-world self defense for women designed around issues specifically related to womens self-defense.
Now, before some of you start rolling your eyes or nodding your head in agreement, this is not a women’s lib issue or anything of the sort. It’s simply the way it is.
What kind of things make self-defense for women different? I’m glad you asked.
Well, for starters, physiologically speaking, there is a 7-to-3 strength ratio between male and female bodies. That means that if you were to stand a man and a woman, having the same height, weight, and build, side-by-side, and all things considered (health, fitness, etc.)…
… the man would still be two-and-a-half times stronger than the woman!
This is not theory or one person’s belief over those of others. It’s scientific fact.
Next, women are more likely to be slapped, grabbed and pinned than punched or kicked. For men, it’s just the opposite. The fact is that, most of us have been conditioned since childhood to act, play, and, yes, fight with each gender very differently. And attackers are no different.
The good news is that more and more women are being drawn to the life-enhancing benefits of the martial arts and basic self-defense programs for increasing their level of self-confidence and overall feelings of safety and security. The not-so-good news is that…
… there is a shortage of:
* Martial arts instructors who understand scientific self-defense, ‘and’ have the necessary life experience to be able to teach from a perspective that shares that experience.
After all…
… if an instructor has never been in a real-world self defense situation themselves, it will make it nearly impossible for them to teach real self defense to anyone - let alone self defense for women. It’s kind of like going to a priest of counselor for marriage counselling who has never been married themselves. They both have information passed on by others but, neither has anyway of expressing that information based on real-word knowledge.
However, there is an over-abundance of…
…so-called self-defense experts who are of the tough-guy, fighter type or the “This is Reality - Deal With it! macho-type.
These people, by their very nature are the “slugger-types” who rely and depend on speed, strength and size to win. Since self defense situations usually involve a bigger, faster, stronger attacker victimizing a smaller, less-prepared target - and, that’sexactly what most women are up against when they’re attacked…
… these instructors, and their “strike-first-and-crush-them-where-they-stand mentalities, are far from being suited, knowledgeable, or able to deliver the necessary lessons needed by women to effectively protect themselves from an assailant intent on dominating them physically.
Other Considerations for Girls and Women’s Self-Defense
The following is a partial list of some of the other major differences between self defense for women and men. The important thing to remember is that…
… a self-defense situation is very different from a sport or competition-based contest where the individuals are willing participants. They are evenly matched to insure for a “fair fight.” I have been in contests and I have been attacked and I can tell you without a moment’s doubt that…
… there is nothing “fair” or “even” about a real attack. NOTHING! And, once your personal space is invaded by another human being wanting to beat you to your core, you will know what I mean and never, ever, buy into the crap that most of these so-called experts are shovelling.
With that said, please know that I have not said that every self-defense or martial arts instructor is full of it. Just that you must know what you need and make sure that that’s what you’re getting. Remember - you’re not buying a couch that you can take back. A mistake in this area could literally cost you your life!
Here are some other differences between men’s and women’s training that a good program must address:
* Cultural Influences - girls have been taught from a very early age that fighting was not “lady-like.”
Oh my god! What would people think!
* Situational Self-Defense - rape and sexual assault are two of the biggest differences between the genders when it comes to suriviving an attack.
The fact that men are usually dealing with the more obvious situations (muggings and competitive (”oh-yeah! let’s go!”-type fighting), while women, and more and more young girls, are required to deal with subtle tactics like date-rape or being ambushed by a group.
Add to this the strength differential discussed earlier, and you have a very different situation, requiring very different self-protection tactics.
* Incorrect Information - I believe that the majority of teachers and instructors mean well. They aren’t out to con you. It’s just that they have no real experience to go on so they do what everyone does when they don’t know any better…
… they make assumptions that seem logical and rational within their own frame of reference.
The problem is that we’re talking about self-protection here…
… self defense for women…
… girls self-defense. Not…
… vegetable soup. Where, if you make a mistake, you can just dump the pot and start over.
As I said earlier, a mistake in a women’s self-defense situation, in any situation requiring defense against an attack from an assailant bent on damaging you, could be very, very costly indeed.

About The Author

Jeffrey M. Miller is the president and CEO of Warrior Concepts International, and specializes in teaching the lessons for effective self-protection and personal development to individuals, groups, and business organizations. He has been studying and teaching these methods for over two-thirds of his life. He is a former federal police officer, private investigator, and bodyguard - all professions that demanded that the techniques, strategies and tactics that he used in the line of duty worked, and worked every time.
Mr. Miller is the founder and creator of the EDR: Non-Martial Arts Defensive Training SystemTM. EDR stands for Emotion-based Defensive Response and focuses on teaching adults how to tap into their body’s own natural defensive response system to effectively deal with over 95% of the assaults that might happen to them. And they learn in hours instead of months or years as required by most karate programs. You can get more information about the EDR System, or to have him speak or conduct a seminar for you, by going to http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/self-defense.html

Tags: Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Las Vegas Kung Fu School, Las Vegas Wing Chun School, Lo Man Kam, Lo Man Kam Wing Chun, Martial Arts Self Defense

As parents, we do everything we can to protect our children from harm and to provide them with the skills they need to be healthy, successful adults. The problem is, we are not with them all the time. What our kids do at school is sometimes a mystery to us. Are they polite to their teachers? Do they participate in class? Are they bullying other kids? Are they being bullied? There is something you can do to help get them on track to be successful in school and to avoid the bully-trap - even when you’re not around: Enroll them in a martial arts class.

One of the biggest misconceptions about enrolling children and teenagers in martial arts is that the kids become aggressive and, therefore, a likely bully. The fact is, however, that martial arts do just the opposite. Bullies often have sense of superiority over others and their environments and lack impulse control. Often time, bullies don’t know how to manage their anger so they take it out on people they deem weaker than themselves. Many times, bullies are being, or have been, bullied at some point in their lives as well. Martial arts help solve these problems.

Martial arts can also help kids who are being bullied. Bullies thrive on attacking (physically or emotionally) people that they see as weak. Kids who are bullied often have (generally as a result of the bullying) low confidence levels, inability to concentrate on school work, lack of focus and high stress levels which make them look even weaker. Martial arts help solve these problems too.

The many benefits of martial arts for children are a great way to combat bullying, but as you read on, you’ll see that the benefits extend way past bullying and will help your children succeed in other areas of their lives as well:

Concentration and Focus. Training martial arts is not a mindless activity. It requires complete concentration and focus at all times during training. The best part about this needed concentration, however, is that it carries over into all parts of your children’s lives. You’ll notice (and your children’s teachers will probably also notice) that they will be able to focus more on their school work and they might even have more successful grades.

Confidence and Control. Martial arts will help your children get in tune with their minds and bodies. This will help kids better understand themselves, their actions and their options. They know that they don’t need to lose their temper to handle stressful situations and they’ll also know that they have the ability to physically defend themselves if needed. All of this knowledge will increase their confidence and over all demeanor making them appear (and be) stronger individuals and less likely to be a victim of a bully. It will also help prevent them from bullying others because they will be more aware of themselves and those around them.

Stress Reduction. You probably already know that physical exercise is a great stress reliever for you. Do you also know that it works for your children as well? Any type of exercise such as jogging or playing sports can relieve the physical stress that your children feel from daily life - and it may be more than you’d expect. Training martial arts goes one step further, however. It will also help your children relieve their emotional stress because martial arts require them to concentrate their training, not dwell on their problems.

Respect. If you send your children to the right school, their martial arts instructors will both command and deserve respect from all of their students. They will also be able to instill in your children that all people deserve respect, especially adults.

For more information on this article or others go to Articles on Martial Arts Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written A Guide on How to Pick a Martial Arts School

He can be reached at the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts. 800-508-6141. His schools can be found on the web at Bellevue Martial Arts and Kung Fu

Tags: Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Las Vegas Kung Fu School, Las Vegas Wing Chun School, Lo Man Kam, Lo Man Kam Wing Chun, Martial Arts Self Defense

You just had a close call - you were waiting for the bus after staying at work late. The neighborhood gets a little rough after hours and a suspicious character approached you. Before things could escalate, a handful of people joined you at the stop. Still, the situation was enough for you to seriously consider how you would react to being attacked. Is it time for self-defense classes? It could be.
Self-defense classes are a common way for people to learn how to handle a situation where they become a victim to violence of one sort or another. There are several different types of self-defense classes available - from martial arts to simple self-defense classes, and it can be confusing trying to choose the one that is right for you.
Here are a few tips for you, to help choose a self-defense class that will deliver the knowledge you need to protect yourself:
* Investigate the different programs - If you don’t have the time to spend learning a martial arts discipline, then maybe a weekend course that offers you techniques and other escape strategies will work for you. You don’t necessarily need to physically defeat an opponent - you merely need to provide yourself an opportunity to escape safely.
* Good courses don’t tell you what to do - Instead, good self defense courses provide you with simple techniques, information on the options you have when a situation arises, and also teach you how to analyze the type of danger you are in. Every situation is different, and you should not be fooled by those classes that give you the absolute answer for every situation.
* Find out the background of the instructor - Your instructor should have extensive experience in their field of self-defense. Discover if they have a self-defense philosophy that matches what you are trying to achieve. Ask if they mind if you sit in on a class or two to get a feel for the program. Then ask whatever questions you want of the program and the instructor. Find out as much information as you can before you make a decision on your self-defense class.
* It’s not always about physical defense - You should find a course that offers you information on awareness of your surroundings, verbal confrontations, de-escalating a confrontation as well as physical techniques. The most successful self-defense classes for the average person encompass several different areas, and do not focus solely on physical defense.
* Get referrals - As with anything you are about to commit a significant amount of time and money into, you want to do as much research as you can. Talk to others who have taken self-defense classes and find out what they liked and what they didn’t like. You can also talk to your local YMCA or YWCA, local colleges, and the area rape crisis center. They will often run classes or be able to offer you the names of people who can provide solid self-defense skills.
Take your time to find the right self-defense class. Determine what your needs are, and then begin your search from there. Martial arts may be the right way for you to go, or you might just want an evening course over a couple night to help you lean to defend yourself.
Any course you take should provide you with more than just a physical way out of a situation. Most courses will teach you how to recognize a situation and react as quickly as possible to avoid any danger altogether. In doing this, it gives you a feeling of power and confidence when you have to wait at the bus stop - next time it might be alone. ================= Visit us for your FREE subscription to the about-self-defense newsletter where you will get great information on various styles, weapons, classes, and self defense books and videos. http://www.about-self-defense.com
About the Author
Rob Goyette created about-self-defense.com to help educate those who want to walk the streets with confidence knowing they can minimize chances of attack and injury. Sign up for your free newsletter here: http://www.about-self-defense.com

Tags: Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Las Vegas Kung Fu School, Las Vegas Wing Chun School, Lo Man Kam, Lo Man Kam Wing Chun, Martial Arts Self Defense