Martial Arts Women 39;s Self Defense

[Kay Hamling]

Womenmost often seek martial arts training so they can protect themselves and get out of a dangerous situation. Although martial arts training is based on self-defense, women must learn self-defense they can utilize effectively. Self-defense martial arts training has several benefits for women, including weight loss, self-confidence, and muscle and core strengthening. There are five martial arts styles that have been shown to be the most effective and the best fit for women learning self-defense.

Karate remains the most popular martial art style. Karate uses arm and leg attacks, which some see as an advantage, whereas others prefer to focus on one set of limbs. Within Karate, there are a variety of styles, and some are better known for street-ready self-defense. However, the fast strikes of Karate training at a qualified dojo can equip students to protect themselves in a dangerous situation. Self-defense is about getting away and saving your life, and Karate delivers these skills to students who train hard and stick with it.

Women are naturally at a physical disadvantage, primarily based on size and height when facing a male attacker in most circumstances. Many who train in martial arts may say that Muay Thai training is too harsh for women. However, when it comes to defending yourself, there is no value in training gently and being unable to deliver some real damage to get away from someone trying to do you harm. Muay Thai trains in short- and long-range kicks and powerful strikes, including the use of the elbows, and teaches women how to deliver brutal blows effectively. There is a physical and strength requirement for those using Muay Thai in self-defense, and as mentioned, women tend to be at a disadvantage when facing a male opponent. Therefore, this training style alone may not be the best fit for all women.

Karate and Muay Thai techniques are effective when an individual is in the suitable range to deliver a strike or kick effectively. When women are attacked, they are often in close range and unable to deliver anything to deter the attacker and get away. Judo is different because it allows students in training to flip and slam their attacker, allowing them time to get away. When striking is not possible or effective, Judo can be used against a larger opponent. Judo, as with all self-defense training, must be practiced regularly to maintain skills.

Krav Maga is a self-defense style that remains one of the most combat-style self-defense training available. Originally designed for combat and war-style scenarios, Krav Maga training includes things that would be illegal in training, like eye pokes and groin strikes. However, knowing how to deliver these can save a life. An important thing to consider is that when training in Krav Maga, training at a reputable studio with experienced and professional instructors is essential. Training in this style anywhere else puts people at risk.

Some may argue that MMA is not a unique martial arts training style since it is a hybrid of many different types. The benefit of MMA training for women to learn self-defense is that it will teach and sharpen grappling skills, how to defend oneself on the ground and improve striking accuracy and effort. Mixed martial arts are an incredibly practical self-defense training for women.

Regardless of the self-defense training you choose, there are several benefits that women, and all students for that matter, will experience as part of training. Students training in self-defense martial arts will feel healthier, more flexible, more confident, and stronger. Martial arts are a terrific way to have fun, learn valuable self-defense skills, connect with others, and build strength and balance. Martial arts training provides a safe and healthy environment to learn with others, set goals, and be in an encouraging forum to learn self-defense.

While knowing how to throw a good punch is a crucial part of self defense, knowing when and how to call out unwanted behavior before a physical altercation begins is just as crucial a part of keeping yourself safe.

There are many pathways to self defense but at the end of the day, knowing how to fight is the core of defending yourself in a fight. Muy Thai can be a great option for women seeking a self defense system that covers all the basics of fighting, from kicking and punching to using your elbows to land a hit.

This martial art is the top choice for self defense due to its focus on lethality over style. Used by the Israeli military, Krav Maga is also the go-to self defense option for women because this martial art forgos all the rules and traditions other martial arts hold their students to, such as using throat-strikes and eye-poking.

Give yourself the boost of feeling more powerful and independent by getting started with self defense training. Premier Martial Arts offers a self defense class that makes training both efficient and enjoyable.

Most women are intelligent and have excellent intuition. They simply need to be reminded that physical strength and martial arts capabilities are not a requirement for successfully preventing an attack. Self-confidence, awareness of ones surroundings and prevention techniques are the foundation of self defense.

Along the way I taught self-defense classes to hundreds of women, and lectured twice yearly on the topic at our local university (I taught a class for the kinesiology department, and the department chair asked me to include it in my course syllabus as a class requirement for all my students). And, I spoke to dozens of young women who had been assaulted.

So, ditch the sexist attitude and teach your female students like warriors, not women. Everyone bleeds the same on the battlefield, so train them just like you would anyone else. Equal, and with an equally serious mindset.

With just a tiny bit of training and a hell of a lot of attitude, she was able to successfully defend herself. And, she even locked the guy in the bathroom until the cops arrived (with some help from bystanders).

I promise to shoot straight and tell the truth. It's what I've been doing since I wrote Small Dojo Big Profits in 2003, and it's what I'll keep doing. For nearly two decades I've written about how to earn a living teaching quality martial arts while running a small, profitable dojo. That's not going to change. You have my word on it.

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Recently in a martial arts forum the questions were asked; In women's self defence classes do you prepare the women to be manhandled? or do you just stroke their ego in a calm and supportive environment?

There are very valid points. There are still a lot of fake martial arts coaches, or fake self defence gurus out there today. This is an industry where the customer is generally very unsure to begin with and therefore quite easy to scam! The biggest problem here is not just money being swindled, but the false sense of security towards something extremely dangerous.

So we know that fakes will continue to leech on beginner's wallets while trying to position themselves as some form of authority, but what about genuine training? Let's assume you receive training from a legitimate experienced coach or team. Even then the thing is with any training you don't know how you will react until it happens, even with full contact training.

Nothing will be perfect, the very nature of a fight is that it's chaotic. But one of the best things you can do as a coach is get your students used to fighting under the effect of adrenaline. So if they are ever attacked, that's not the first time they feel adrenaline put their body in a mode they have no idea how to use.

Adrenaline can be your best friend and it can give you almost super human powers, but it can also make people freeze. Don't think about fight or flight. It's more like fight, flight, or submit. You can become so afraid that you neither fight or run, fearing that either might actually result in worse damage. What if I hurt him and he gets even more angry? What if I get away and he gets enraged and catches me anyway? Will they hurt me less if I go along with it?

This is the reality of self defence. Simply willing to be a peaceful person wont help you when the fight chooses you. Suddenly you are left with no confidence in your ability to fight and win, and without even the choice to fight until you can escape. What then is your option to survive?

I always tell people that if it gets as far as a fight, as soon as it becomes physical you've probably already messed up 90% of self defence, which could largely be simplified as being aware of your surroundings and not making yourself into an easy target by making stupid choices. There are of course times when nothing you could have done would have stopped the attack, then you hope that you have trained well and luck is on your side.

The magic of learning to fight is in the correct drilling of realistic techniques. Alongside this I if you can teach awareness and train a fighting spirit that's your best chance for someone in self defence.

Shoulder to shoulder with our regular classes we have run successful self defence seminars aimed at women. The focus was on escaping common positions, simple strikes, how to knee, how to elbow. But that's still all theory. One of the drills they would have to do several times was to get from one side of the room to the other, while we stopped them by being verbally and physically aggressive. Myself and another coach would be completely armoured up, face shields, full body, leg + groin protection etc. We'd take them by surprise as they were putting gloves on, as one threw them to the ground the other would cover their eyes or strike them while everyone was shouting. Basically making them fight through a high stress situation, make them fight for a single leg take down from the ground, then get up and run. We make them actually use moves they had learnt, not just go home after a light sweat and a pat on the back.

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