O.k., so it can be a brutal, violent world out there when you move from the cocoon, with sexual predators on the prowl waiting for their opportunity. You think quoting stats or laying blame will change anything? If women are too naive or reluctant to learn the basics of self-defence and still venture into precarious situations, then who`s responsible? Being involved in the martial arts scene for a couple of decades gave me an opportunity to hear the range of excuses:
'One day, I`ll get around to it'
'Too busy'
'Never happen to me'
'I can handle myself'
'Yuck, who needs it'
'Six months? I want to be an expert in two lessons'
'I`m married'. or its alternative 'I have a boyfriend'
'Not in my family'
'It looks too hard'
'I can practise one night a month, is that enough?’
'Men are too strong'
And when you get them near a mat:
'Take off my jewellry/lipstick/cut my nails? Forget it'
The main problem to overcome in most confronting situations is the shock factor when your life is overturned by family/friend/assault out of the blue, and you are like a rabbit transfixed in headlights. If you do react positively, it has to be effective. You can try verbal defence”pleas, threats, screams, but assailants usually pick their spots, and help is such a dodgy thing to rely on. Forget the knee to the cohones”perps are awake to that as a first defence.Weapons are frowned on by the law and judges unless you are the perp, so most times you won`t carry, and if you do, are you competent and are they near to hand?
The only cure I`ve found is to practise all kinds of situations until you react with habit,with decision, with knowledge. It doesn`t take forever to learn the basics, where to avoid, backup methods, best approaches.You might even enjoy the training. Sure, you mightn`t win, or even survive in a determined attack, but at least you improved your chances, faced the demons and didn`t give them an easy victory. And possibly changed the stats.
Btw, that`s a generic ”you’