Fight Like a Girl

I believe in rooting for the underdog. 
I believe in being prepared.
I believe in taking care of yourself.

I believe that no man should ever hit a woman. But I also believe that every woman should know how to protect herself in case she is ever attacked.

Most of the human population consists of good people. Men and women that are good-natured and wouldn't hurt another person intentionally. However, there is that 1% of people (both men and women) who are, in my opinion, the scum of the Earth and don't care who they hurt in any situation. Whether it is physically, emotionally, socially, psychologically, they are A-Okay with hurting people. Most of the public have their own style for dealing with emotional and psychological tactics. A significant number, though, are unprepared should they find themselves in a physical battle.

I've been hit. I won't go into details, but I can tell you that it is all kinds of no-fun. It's the most infuriating, humiliating, terrifying, shocking and helpless feeling that I've ever experienced all at the same time. I don't want to ever feel that way again; I don't want anyone else to have to feel that way. But a good portion of women are unprepared to defend themselves in the event that they are assaulted.

I've always been able to hold my own, and was stronger than majority of the girls I knew. However, this didn't dissuade me from taking a Self-Defense class on campus my freshmen year of college. A few officers from the police department volunteered to teach women basic self-defense maneuvers to ward off any potential attackers. I LOVED this. I got to spend three hours a night for a week learning different techniques, practicing punches and kicks, and feeling empowered because I knew that I could defend myself. Not only did I greatly enjoy this class, but I excelled at it. I was so good that I was offered the chance to help teach some of the female cadets those same techniques.

A few years later, I enrolled in a Women's Self-Defense course, and received college credit for it. Instead of just showing us basic moves, the teachers demonstrated and explained types of Aikido moves. They showed us how to use natural movements to get out of our Attacker's grip, how to escape a choke-hold, and how to wriggle out of a bear-hug-type-hold by using smart strategies instead of trying to overpower the assailant (which is not likely to happen, anyway). These men taught us how to react in a smart way instead of panicking and endangering ourselves even more.

 There are classes offered through most, if not all, colleges and cities. Most martial arts studios offer some self-defense classes. Gyms provide women's groups so that females may learn basic fighting techniques without feeling self-conscious. There are so many options to learn how to defend yourself. I don't condone fighting just for giggles, but I strongly suggest knowing how to fight in order to protect yourself.

I'm sure that I'll catch all kinds of grief over this post telling me that I should have written to males advising them to not be violent to women instead of telling women that they should know how to defend themselves. Personally, I believe that both are true: men should never hit a woman, and women should know to protect themselves. The male-lesson needs to be taught at home when he is still young and forming his ideas about how to act. It does no good for a boy to grow up thinking violence against women is acceptable, and then for me to try to tell them not to do it. It doesn't work that way. On the other hand, however, no matter when we tell females that they need to be able to take care of themselves, it seems to sink in. I know this because there are women of all ages signing up for self-defense class, getting their Concealed Carry gun permit, and learning how to curl her hands into a fist for the first time.

When the days comes, though, I will teach my son how to properly treat a lady, and I will teach my little girl how to throw a right-cross.