Feminism is a topic which is at the forefront of today’s society. There are millions of women in the world who share a common goal; to define, establish, and receive equal liberties for females.
Now, back in May a female kickboxer made the headlines in The Guardian for fighting off a sex attacker. The headline of the article included the following phrase regarding self-defence - “it’s the feminist thing to do.”
Indeed, martial arts classes seemed to be just as beloved to feminists back in the 70’s and 80’s as armpit hair is to modern-day feminists. There is a popular saying these days: “teach people not to rape, instead of teaching people to avoid being victims.”
As a female and a martial artist, I strongly disagree with this. In a society to which females are frequently victimised or, on the other extreme, heralded for their bodies, it becomes difficult to change the general views of the majority. Perhaps one day, education on this sort of topic will reach the required standard to prevent it. However, realistically speaking it will take a large amount of time to train people to think of this topic in a different light.
In the meantime, there’s no harm in providing a woman with the skills that could potentially give her a fighting chance. At the IJJA, our techniques are developed for use outside, should a student require it. Jiu-Jitsu students are taught to escape from various grabs, chokes and holds, including (but not limited to) hair grabs, wrist grabs, bear hugs and strangles. Self-Defence courses are also available, which are simple, fast and effective techniques that are easy to master. You will also be taught about the lawfulness of using these techniques.
So, if martial arts is “the feminist thing to do,” then what’s stopping you? Visit us at www.ijjauk.com!