Quote:
Originally Posted by Jace
but as far as keeping women enrolled though - I'm at a loss. It is like trying to boost female enrollment. It is a hard thing to accomplish.
|
Little girls will enroll with little boys and do all the same activities in kids MA classes; they'll spar (seen 'em), do forms etc but I think young women's interests change, right?
Young men still do martial arts and combat sports.
Keeping female enrollment? hmmm...seems like you have to make a place or environment female friendly or allmost too easy to attract and keep females enrolled.
Suggestions:
1. Create a class for women. Market it for women, starting with the advertisement and including women instructors. The beginners class should be mostly conditioning, but specific for MA and keep them coming back for more. Keep the cirriculum simple. Teach the jab, cross, elbow and kneee. Do pad drills that work up a wild sweat, but also teach how to create openings.
Cirriculum for a 75 minute beginner class:
- warm-up (10 minutes), skip rope (10 minutes), technique instruction (20 minutes).
- non-stop pad work! (25 minutes)
- introduction to partner drills/self-defense. (10 minutes).
- Always finish a class demonstrating the next techniques to be learned, always include a suprise of some sort, keep them coming back to learn more.
2. Limit male attendance in a class for females to advanced rank male students, whom have proven their dedication, conduct and bearing. You don't want some beginner student who hasn't paid his dues trying to mack on every young lady that walks through the doors. Class time is for
training. Class make up would be mostly female (maybe 70%?) and therefore seem more female friendly.
3. Keep the class active. The ladies shouldn't have the time to sit and chat, they should be working non-stop, but be able to think while they are working so they can improve.
Critiques? Comments?
I've taught beginning and intermediate level muay thai at women's shelters for free, but these women are different than your average female student -- in most cases, alot tougher and comfortable with contact training.