Short Women’s Self-Defense Classes

Short self-defense courses often teach moves that apply martial art techniques to situations involving criminal behavioral. The types of self-defense training and courses vary in content and length from a couple hours to attending one or two days over the period of several weeks.

These types of short self-defense programs may not be based upon an assessment of the conditions that address the common threats from which women are commonly confronted. The martial arts may not fit with the Five Principles of Self-Defense ©.

Most self-defense instructors are committed to assisting their students, but their background and education about violence against women and criminal behavior may be limited. The most notable indicator of limited training is teaching women to “square off” or assume a combative stance, which can result in dangerous, escalating outcomes. This may end a situation for one aggressive individual who decides to back off, but a combative stance may also provoke another individual who is already prone to violence to escalate the conflict.

Some instructors have copied the Model Mugging padded assailant concept developed in the 1970’s and gained publicity in articles beginning with Human Behavior Magazine and television news segments.

Most self-defense instructors are committed to assisting their students, but their background and education about violence against women and criminal behavior may be limited. The most notable indicator of limited training is teaching women to “square off” or assume a combative stance, which can result in dangerous, escalating outcomes. This may end a situation for one aggressive individual who decides to back off, but a combative stance may also provoke another individual who is already prone to violence to escalate the conflict.

Some self-defense instructors have copied the Model Mugging padded assailant concept developed in the 1970’s that gained publicity in articles beginning with Human Behavior Magazine and television news segments.

Recreation classes offered in municipal programs may offer introductory trial sessions that feed into other, more vigorous long-term programs or martial arts training with a particular style or emphasis. Sometimes, fitness centers offer weekly classes taught by a practitioner of a specific martial art style. Though recreational children’s classes are more common, women self-defense courses are periodically offered through community centers, city-county recreation programs, and YMCAs/YWCAs.

College gym or physical education classes and/or clubs may offer college participation credit for a short self defense course. Sometimes short personal protection classes or programs are offered in high schools. These can be convenient opportunities for college or high school students. Academic self-defense courses may provide physical education credit toward graduation requirements. Most college classes are coed and cover a wide range of topics, most are taught from a martial art perspective. School martial art clubs may build more proficiency similar to regularly attending a martial arts dojo (school) or training facility than some college credited courses that cover a wider introductory martial arts curriculum. Some college physical education courses do focus on building proficiency in a particular martial art style. In most cases techniques are not practiced long enough to develop proficiency for defense against street violence and sexual assault. Most have difficulty addressing the specialized needs of women.

Other short courses may involve firearms training, pepper spray classes/certifications, kubatons, and other weapons, gismos, and gadgets. these courses can provide different ideas and movements that can be beneficial but have limitations as well. Considering the advantages and disadvantages are important in realism but also with regard to assessing your goals and your time and money.

Aspects of these courses may be useful and assist in thwarting a potential assault. Although there are no guarantees with any technique, style, or type of training, the evolution of martial science owes it’s beginnings to martial art skills presented for combative sport that were not presented toward realistic methods of self-defense.

Some universities and high schools offer Model Mugging courses as physical education credit for women. As a short self-defense course, Model Mugging has spent decades bringing the most updated information to classes from studying real world crimes. Then Model Mugging systematically blends the material into a safe and supportive structure continuing the advancement in martial science.

Basic and Advance self-defense courses are taught in 20 hours, although four hour workshops may focus on parts of the Model Mugging self-defense system. The whole course should be taken and review courses are also recommended periodically over time.

Learning something can build self-confidence and may keep student of a short self-defense course from being victimized, but other times doing something learned without a the greater understanding of the context of street crimes and self-defense may be the wrong action at the wrong time, which may result in greater violence and injury to the student.

 

Return to Choices in Self Defense for more suggestions.