Can you recommend a good form of self defence training for 13 yr old DD?

[Jabbie2]

That's about it really.

DD is in the middle of a potentially bullying situation.It has been ongoing and we are closely monitoring it.There has been threats of physical violence but after approaching the family I am hoping things will dissapate (but not entirely holding my breath) My main concern is how this has really affected her confidence.She has been panic stricken saying I don't know how to defend myself, not sure what to do in a fight.We have said over and over not to get in a fight and we have told bully girl's family this , but I'm thinking just generally really.She is very slim for her age but can run fast so that is good.She wears glasses and is always worried that these may be taken and/or broken.A friend of hers is learning kick boxing but I think this is a bit extreme, unless someone tells me otherwise, I am very open to suggestions.
I don't know if she can learn a defence/combat sport wearing glasses, can she?

I just want something which will give her confidence you know, build up a bit of strength but give her some techniques say in recognising and avoiding potential situations as who wants their child fighting but I think for my DD just knowing she COULD do something would help her immensely.As , I am sure as a teenager/young woman she needs to know how to look after herself.

Thanks

Taekwondo - it's made me so much more confident.

Sorry, rubbishly short answer. I'm sure there would be no problem doing it wearing glasses. After all, if she'd be wearing her glasses in any real life situation she needed to use it in. I've learnt loads of blocking techniques and have really found it's changed my view of myself and how capable I would be of dealing with things.

I'd second taekwondo-my DD (7) has been doing it for a little while now and has learnt blocking techniques (which she has taught me!). Pretty sure there are people in her class who wear glasses as a lot of the stuff they do is non- or very low contact.

Tae kwon do was my answer too. DS is five and has been going for about three months. His confidence is raised, he learns disciplines, like memory etc. he learns how to defend himself. His class is very lucky as they actually learn things specifically designed for his age. It really is a good thing to do.

Ju-Jitsu, there is a reason it is not a competitive sport but a martial art - you learn to do things like poke people's eyes, use things as weapons (pens, pencils, things that don't get you arested), there is a throw that will pop a shoulder out - your opponent's not yours.

You need to find a good teacher. Mine (adult class) would occasionally teach 'night club techniques', whidh was what to do when there is a bad in the way, or you have a drink in your hand.

Kick boxing or Taekwondo.
Our kickboxing classes takes kids from the age of 6 and teaches how to fight safely. In other words keeping yourself safe and not doing serious injury to others. (eg no head kick, head puches etc)
We are shown how to block, what to do if anyone grabs and attacks you from behind, multi person attacks, groin kicks and so on.
The moves are repeated over and over again so they become second nature.

sashh

"Ju-Jitsu, there is a reason it is not a competitive sport but a martial art - you learn to do things like poke people's eyes, use things as weapons (pens, pencils, things that don't get you arested), there is a throw that will pop a shoulder out - your opponent's not yours."

I doubt 'self defense' will cut it in court when the bully has been blinded in one eye.

Helxi

Er yeah, you're right. But there are other things that are useful.

My dh used to teach Womens Self Defence at uni (he's also a 2nd dan Black belt at Karate).

Learning a martial art properly takes years.

I'd advise that she looks into a women's self defence course.

Judo or any other martial art where they learn to defend themself in a confined area. Kick boxing and karate are all well and good when you've lots of space to move around, but in a small and confined space you need to be able to restrain someone or to get out of a tricky and tight hold.

However, by far the best form of self defence is not not allow the situation to develop in the first place. That made sound easy to say when you're not in the set of circumstances, but usually an attack of any sort, physical or verbal comes with some sort of warning sign. A raised voice, a disagreement, a provocative statement, an unwanted gesture, an offer to go somewhere out of the public view or generally just an uneasy feeling.
Getting your DD to recognise these signs is helpful, as is acting to prevent any attach as soon as these warning signs are visible. This could mean moving to an area where others are around, or speaking to a teacher or parent, or moving away from the person.
I really hope the situation resolves itself.

I would highly recommend thai boxing and jiu jitsu but not for 'fighting the bully', which I know you don't want it for, but for strength, confidence and fitness. She will learn to hit properly and hard and also not be afraid of being hit (practice sparring only) and also useful holds and blocks. I love martial arts

I would highly recommend thai boxing and jiu jitsu but not for 'fighting the bully', which I know you don't want it for, but for strength, confidence and fitness. She will learn to hit properly and hard and also not be afraid of being hit (practice sparring only) and also useful holds and blocks. I love martial arts

My son started Taekwondo at six and got his black belt when he was 10, I still think if someone had hit him outside of the club he would have been so shocked he wouldn't have thought to use his TKD skills.

You might be surprised, thebuskersdog. They teach the moves so often they become instinct. I have used blocks/locks on several different occasions when threatened. I didn't actually know I was going to use them! Just instinct in response to a threat

You might be surprised, thebuskersdog. They teach the moves so often they become instinct. I have used blocks/locks on several different occasions when threatened. I didn't actually know I was going to use them! Just instinct in response to a threat

My DP showed me Kappap (sp?) after he did classes on it.

I wanted to know how to defend myself, but I was not keen on all this arms this way, legs this way huh huh noises etc which is what I had seen when accompanying friends kids to martial arts classes like taekwondo.

I wanted something that would show me how to put someone, regardless of size or shape on the floor if I needed to, in order for me to get away.

It was pretty violent the stuff I was shown but I don't know if I would remember to use it. There where particularly good moves for getting a knife off someone, and also a exercise where we used pens as knives, and basically for each pen mark, it was a stab or slash wound. I always thought of myself as quite nimble but at the end of a 6 minute exercise I had about 30 knife wounds to various parts of my body, at least 10 of which would of been fatal. Quite an eye opener!

Perhaps do some taster sessions of different types, see what appeals to her?

Aikido is good as you can use your attacker's force to deflect him/her. Tae Kwondo is to noisy and violent.

Judo is good, too. Nearly all the karate belted wimp boys in DD's yr are afraid of her, even though she's a shrimp compared to many.

But really it comes down to finding a fun & affordable martial arts club in your area that your Dd enjoys. She won't get good at it if the club isn't well run, and if she doesn't want to go back loads of times. So if you don't like the first club you find then move on to others.

Kuk Sul Won, too.

Could even look at MMA, but I think the quality of those is quite variable.

I just arranged a brilliant self defence course in my village - check out www.eudo.org I wanted my 17yo DD to have the skills to cope, having left school and going to work abroad. Girlfriends and their daughters all came together and this course lasted 90 minutes - the most impressed ones were the 13 and 14yo DDs who think all their friends should take this course. So glad we did this.

Muay Thai or Thai boxing is brilliant for self confidence and fitness.

Ju jitsu is all about throws and grappling.

Apparently krav maga is the best self defence one, it was designed by the Israeli military, I haven't actually tried it but I hear great things about it.

Ju-jitsu is all about defence. It shows how to avoid punches, kicks, headlocks and holds. It also teaches the pupil how to punch, kick etc but as a last resort.

I wouldn't worry about her size or glasses, my old sensei was 5'6'', slim and wore glasses. He was a 5th Dan and bloody scarey when he need to be!