Quote:
|
Originally Posted by gregimotis
When 'combatives' type styles teach Self defense, do they differentiate between men's and women's self defense? What's the difference?
What would be the differences in technique or attitude between general self defense classes and women's specific classes?
|
Some aspects of SD are universal - such as awareness, avoidance, etc.
Speaking in *very* broad generalizations here that are by no means universal, just tendencies of the culture that I deal with here in America - it might be different in other parts of the world. Women are usually targeted by guys. The average guy is bigger, heavier, and stronger than the average woman. Most guys have some experience with fighting and violence - to one degree or another, it's part of growing up for most guys. Women tend to have experienced less in the way of physical violence and more in the way of emotional/mental trauma in growing up. Consequently, men tend to be better prepared for a physically violent confrontation. And that's not even bringing into the the whole cultural taboo of "ladies don't fight."
So a women's SD course should address some of these issues. It should be more geared toward getting the women to overcome their habitual (through years of cultural training and experience) reluctance toward physical violence. Also, the point needs to be stressed that their attacker is likely to be bigger, heavier, stronger and with more fighting experience. So the course should stress what the women have in their favor - agility, surprise (most guys don't expect a serious fight from a woman), and, most importantly, self-preservation motivation.
Men and women pretty much get attacked for the same concepts. The attacker either wants money or wants to cause injury - maybe for some perceived slight or maybe just because. The difference between the two, though, lies in the details of the injury intended. Taking a beating is no picnic - but it's much easier to cope with (from an emotional/mental standpoint) than rape and that's what women are usually faced with when the attacker intends injury.
From this standpoint, stakes are higher for a woman. This needs to be stressed to women in a women's SD course. They need to understand that with stakes that high, they have no room for mercy. A man might have the option, depending on the situation, of subduing his attacker. A woman, generally, doesn't have that option. She has to inflict as much damage as possible and leave - all in as little time as possible.
Of course, this general rule of thumb is true for both men and women on a conceptual level. But, again, the devil is in the details. Women have to understand that if they're attacked, they need to be ready and willing to pull out all the stops and not stop until they're safely out of danger.
At least, that's my take on the differences between general SD and women's SD.
Mike