Do women's self defense classes actually work?

The Question of Self Protection

Lately, there has been a seriousincrease of women's self defense classes promoting martial arts ordifferent approaches and techniques, helping women to get out ofviolent situations unharmed. Taking into consideration the world welive in, full of criminals and poor people prepared to do justanything in order to get money, these classes seem well justified. Robbers all tend to attack womenconsidering them the easiest prey. Therefore, it is an absolutenecessity for a woman to be prepared to fight and defendherself if necessary.

However, most of the self defenseclasses available today are not even held by professionals. For thesereasons, it is important to be careful while choosing the right classor training to attend, knowing how to recognize the things you needto be taught, and the adequate person who will be teaching you.

Things to Bear in Mind

A woman who desires to be taught how toprotect herself needs to have several things in mind. Firstly, sheneeds to know that women do not defend the same way men do. Whilemales are larger and have more brute strength which they can use inorder to confront whoever may be attacking them, women cannot do thesame. A woman could hardly go in a one-on-one confrontation with aman twice her size, reaching resolve with her bare knuckles. At thesame time, women are not attacked the same way men are. Rather,instead of being hit or kicked, women are usually slapped, strangledor pressed behind a wall. Therefore, different approaches arenecessary in order for women to defend themselves.

The thing that works for women as wellas men are martial arts. By mastering certain skills, women cansuccessfully resist any attacks or threats, even without a need forcounter-violence. Therefore, a woman should seek for classes teachingmartial arts oriented towards self defense. However, if she can findnone of the type, she could take the two separately, attending bothmartial arts and self-defense classes, learning how to combine them.

Finally, these classes should teach awoman how to evade confrontation rather than how to win a fight.There are numerous techniques which may lead you out of a potentialphysical confrontation. Namely, distraction, negotiation, defense, andfleeing as well as many others can all be helpful if needed. Learningthe theory of self defense and combining it with technique presentingthe practical part, will both give a woman self confidence, strength,endurance and many other traits necessary for her to find a way outof dangerous situations quickly and successfully.