Comments on: Making Self-Defense Fun

By: Kelli Peterman

Kelli Peterman — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:30:08 +0000

I teach a self defense group at the residential facility that I work at and am running into the same issues you are talking about. The women I work with get bored, have short attention spans usually, and are just uninterested in learning.

I work with them on the basics of blocks, strikes, situations, and falls. It is challenging for them that it takes repeating techniques again and again to really embody them.

I would love any ideas of how to get them excited, whether it’s techniques, games, or well I am open to any suggestions.

Thanks!

By: Joanne Factor

Joanne Factor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:13:36 +0000

Erin, I’ve been working for a decade on making my self-defense classes fun and memorable. Successful “infotainment” is challenging, and a bit of a balancing act to get the message across in an engaging way.

About class size. I deliberately keep them small to give more individual attention, and at this point I consider the ideal class size about 8 to 12 participants. Short presentations (like about an hour to 90 minutes) to larger group are different, not as hands-on. Students need to feel comfortable yet challenged and successful.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:52:24 +0000

I don’t think a class should be women only. I took taekwondo with men and women, and I was surprised to learn that some things we were learning, I couldn’t use successfully on the men. I think that is a valuable lesson for women, learning what REALLY works on a male opponent, and what doesn’t.

Also, I think facilities should be clean, with plenty of mats for people to fall safely on.

Coming from my experience of martial arts, I hated wearing the gi uniforms. Sweats and tee shirts for me please.

By: Lydia

Lydia — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:24:14 +0000

Personally, I’m not scared of taking a class or putting it off. It’s just not on my radar. If you weren’t doing this work and I didn’t know you from high school, it wouldn’t be on my radar at all!

I’m all for empowerment and learning the tools to keep myself safe, but in all the to-do’s I have for myself and my family, it just hasn’t been an item on the checklist.

Maybe this doesn’t make sense to you or your colleagues (especially since you’re all so passionate about this and it does make a lot of logical sense). But I just don’t feel the sense of urgency, as illogical as that may sound and as dire as the consequences may be.

In terms of bells and whistles and special accomodations, I couldn’t care less. If I was signed up for self-defense class in a cruddy warehouse and the instructors were skilled presenters and included us in practicing the tools, that’s all I would need.

Logistically speaking, have one of your staff contact the Golden Gate Mothers Group,a network of almost 4,000 moms in San Francisco. They host monthly speakers, and this would be right up their alley. If so, I’d gladly attend.

By: Anny Jacoby

Anny Jacoby — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:50:29 +0000

Excellent Erin! So many females feel for some strange reason to me that by facing the reality that victimization can happen to anyone that in turn it’s focusing more on the “fear factor” rather than empowerment. Yet everyone must be educated about fear and in turn how you turn fear into empowerment mentally, emotionally and physically. We all know in this field that no one “likes” to think that “it could happen to me” and would rather stick their heads in the sand and/or try to rely on false securities. On the flip side…….once they have had one opportunity to Final Drill – they want more! It’s a matter of getting them there – right on board with you.
Thanks again!
Take care and STAY SAFE!
Anny