Women's Perceptions in Martial Arts!

[Mr. Heel Hook]

I tip my hat to you, young lady!

[Tom Yum]

Originally posted by cakegirl

Got oodles of that, Mr. Heel Hook!

What about cake?
How good is da cake?

[cakegirl]

Originally posted by Tom Yum
How good is da cake?

You can't handle the cake!

[Mr. Heel Hook]

Hmmmm... I challenge you to a match, cakegirl! Even though... I live in America and you're in the land of wombats and kangaroos ... but I still challenge you!



PS: When you come here ... could you bring me a wombat ... those things are friggen cute.

[cakegirl]

Since I can't be in the US to accept your challenge, I send my friend, Wally. I can't figure out how to send him in this message, so you'll have to go here http://www.reptilepark.com.au/commonwombat.htm

[Mr. Heel Hook]

Very good, thank you!

We will have to put the match on hold till you arrive here someday, or I there someday. Untill then, mizz cakegirl, I will be training for our faithful encounter!

Hi to everyone out there

hi there Im new here

I would like to know where to start in martial arts

[GranFire]

Yellow Pages....

[Arath]

Hmm, I've been teaching women and teenage girls self defence for quite a few years now (besides having 20 years of experience in the martial arts, and I'd say that in a good self defence class a lot of the attitude of a newcomer is influenced by the more experienced students (AND the instructor, of course). I've seen pretty nervous and uncertain students relax when they see the matter of fact attitude in the class. I like to teach a mixed class of male and female students, because that gives more opprotunity for practise against male opponents in various situations, which I think is an ABSOLUTE must if training is to be of any value. Alternatively, if a girl has a heavy bias against violence, I try to 'hard-wire' a few easy and effective techniques into her (with some power training) by having her practise them half a hundred times several days a week. I say 'relax, just pretend this is an aerobics class'
I have a female student who was pretty much totally against using violence, and she knocked an attacker unconscious with a temple strike 'instinctively' - she didn't want to do it, but she just did it, because that's what she'd been taught to do hundreds of times. She was scared, she was frozen, but she still struck out with a knockout blow. I was so pleased, really. Obviously this doesn't work for everyone, but here it did, and I was really, really pleased. Nothing makes a SD instructor happier than when the training actually keeps a student safe in a real life situation.

[lamaTKD cait]

Originally Posted by Tom Yum

I started this one to see what the ladies think about some of the following topics:

Martial Arts (in general)
Self-Defense
Ring Fighting (boxing, MuayThai/Kickboxing)
Getting comfortable with contact
Martial Arts as fitness or art
Feeling while practicing MA
Others perceptions of your MA and training

OK its time to let the flood gates open and say anything about MA. Go!!!!

Martial Arts:
they rock. why would i think differently just 'cus i'm a girl?

Self-Defense:
that's kind of a loaded topic. self defense is different everywhere you go. personally, i study taekwondo - now, i know everyone says tkd sucks for practical application, but that's total bs. every ma has their own wild and crazy/totally impractical techniques that would never work on the street. there's still plenty that would. you want to study self defense, make sure you're doing it practically - hitting, getting hit, being attacked suddenly, against common weapons, by groups... etc.

Ring-Fighting:
sorry, i have no experience with these. unfortunately, i have a medical condition that makes it hard to deal with really heavy styles like this. but hey, if you can do it, more power to you.

Getting comfortable with contact:
who, me or the guys i train with? i can't tell you how many times in class i have to say "no, it's ok." there's times i feel like a broken record. I understand the instinct to treat all women kindly (and there's many that don't deserve it), but i'm coming to class. i'm dishing it out. i can take it, too - and i expect to.

Martial Art as a fitness or art:
both! hence the name!

Feeling while practicing Martial Art:
great! why else would i do it?

Other perceptions of your MA and training:
always looking for new stuff to learn. i love learning, i love teaching. i do wish there were more women out there who were willing to do this stuff, but hey, i'll represent if i have to.

Cait

[Tom Yum]

Thanks for your response, Cait.

My only concern with TKD is the lack of inside fighting and the overemphasis of point sparring - but I know TKD produces some of the best kickers out there.

Some TKD gyms compete in open-style tournaments and cross train in hapkido, judo or jujitsu.

PS - welcome to defend.net.

[Tom Yum]

Originally Posted by lamaTKD cait

I understand the instinct to treat all women kindly (and there's many that don't deserve it)

Hearing this reassures me that one less woman is living in psycho-fantasy land - again, welcome to defend.net

Originally Posted by lamaTKD cait

but i'm coming to class. i'm dishing it out. i can take it, too - and i expect to.

Cheers to that.

[lamaTKD cait]

[quote=Tom Yum;251082]
My only concern with TKD is the lack of inside fighting and the overemphasis of point sparring - but I know TKD produces some of the best kickers out there.

Some TKD gyms compete in open-style tournaments and cross train in hapkido, judo or jujitsu.
[quote]

I hear that. but the problem is not with the art, but with the instructors. there's much that's left out, thanks to the wonderful mcdojangs out there. we actually incorporate a lot of practical self-defense, emphasising ease of use and understanding, as opposed to memorizing combinations that probably won't work in the real world. unfortunately, i also understand that we're in the minority, as tkd schools go. sad for the art.

cait