Martial Arts: Complaints about women studying martial arts are that it takes an immense amount of time and in the end is not really practical in application. There is nothing wrong with studying a martial art which has many benefits; some of which are improving physical conditioning and flexibility, better fitness, increasing balance and coordination, developing competitiveness, and combative skills. But martial arts require dedication, consistency and much of what is taught is not generally “street” practical or effective.

In reality many women do not have the time it takes to make the long-term commitment to effectively study a martial art in order to make its application effective during an actual attack. Martial arts schools have high drop out rates, inconsistent attendance, and most of what is learned are considered perishable skills in that they require continuous and repetitive review or the skills are forgotten.

Most importantly, students are usually not conditioned mentally, physically or emotionally prepared for real street violence. Studying the martial arts will normally take about two years training four to six hours a week to become halfway proficient at defending herself. But most women do not have three nights a week to learn how to defend themselves. They work, go to school, have kids to care for, and many other obligations to fulfill.

If a woman does have the time, she will usually spend the majority of her training time practicing with other female students. A woman training with other women is unrealistic because she needs to learn how to defend herself against the size, strength, and speed of a man. But most male students who are serious about training, and not there to win dates with the female students, do not like to train with women because they cannot be as aggressive or as rough with a female training partner. Also most women cannot present themselves as a threatening adversary, thus failing to give her male partner a challenging workout and learning experience. He, too, is training to defend himself against a male assailant.

The techniques taught in traditional martial arts classes may be ineffective because the training partner or instructor is not attacking at full speed and power. Realistically the techniques cannot be practiced in full force since that would defeat the purpose of training because everyone would become injured during practice. If a training partner who is playing the adversary role does not attack with a realistic intent to harm in class, he is doing his partner a grave disservice because his partner will believe they possess the necessary skills, which are untested skills.

Traditionally, the martial arts have been designed from a man’s perspective of combat and do not properly train women how to defend themselves against the kinds of attacks women are commonly subjected. Males, who attack females, do not attack them the way they would attack a man.

When a male attacks a female with the intention to rape, he will force her to the ground in order to forcibly control and position her in a variety of possible sexual positions to physically complete the assault. However, the major problem with studying the martial arts is the lack of emotional involvement in the training. Defending one’s self from a real attack is much more than trying to apply techniques practiced in class, especially when the assault is different from what they are accustomed to in class; panic sets in.

Traditional Self-Defense Courses: Overall, martial arts are ineffective in teaching women self-defense because of the amount of time needed to become proficient. Consequently, many instructors commonly offer short self-defense courses and derive their techniques from their own martial arts style and discipline. Typical self-defense classes may teach some appropriate techniques, but women cannot practice in a realistic manner.

Not all self-defense is effective. The most important aspect of traditional women’s self-defense courses is the lack of research and specialized training in how women are victimized. The courses do not deal with space and boundary issues in a realistic manner or the dynamics and phases of sexual assaults. This is a common tactic used by acquaintance rapists. Additionally, the critical element of “real” fear is left out in the training process. Each woman may learn wonderful techniques, but if the techniques are not used under “real” fear and under “real” stress, she often freezes in fear when actually attacked.

There is just no way to become proficient at any of these things without some realistic practice.” This is a truth not practiced in most martial arts or self-defense classes for obvious reasons to prevent injuries.

The emotional side of training requires exposure and experience within realistic scenarios. The terrifying images associated with sexual assault can be significantly lowered through repeated exposure that transforms one’s perceived fears into being less frightening. Instinctively, women react to the idea of assault with avoidance, but exposure can remove the sting of fear and develop modified responses to such threats.