Do women simply need to learn how to fight more?

[QueenoftheRant]

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30272204

No one's picked this up yet so far as I can see. Hurray for the people concerned, its so good to see women who are willing to defend themselves at need. It also highlights a question I've long been interested in. Personally I had my fair share of fights when young and I would love to see physical self defence training taught to all girls in schools rather than netball. I wonder whether that is the necessary last answer to male aggression. I think of male aggression essentially as gender based bullying and the usual way of stopping bullying is to hit back.

But of course there're two points: firstly a male friend once told me that if women could defend themselves more effectively they would be targeted more as men's restraints towards them would drop.

And secondly do we really want a world where fighting is a way of life?

Any takers?

I don't think we necessarily need to choose between doing nothing and violence.
There is something called assertiveness as well that sits somewhere in the middle.

Its just treating the symptoms not the cause of the problem.

Fighting back can help, but on the timeline the man has already engineered the situation in his favour.

They not going to attack you when you all alert from the gym its going to be when your friends have bailed on you and your blind drunk and on your own.

But don't most rapes happen with someone you know?

e.g - Family shocked at moment as DW's Fresher niece let a guy share her taxi (WHY!), he seem to go his own way, she went in to room for a bit came out for a cigarrette, he was waiting around, she went quickly back to her room, he followed, got ahead of him, knocked on student opposite to let her in which they did. They then watched him come down corridor and go in her room as she had left door ajar as she left it.

I agree with all countess's points.

This got interesting when I wasn't watching! I'm now watching in awe.

It's the old 'do the ends justify the means' problem isn't it.

BreakingDad, many sympathies to your young friend, she'll find a lot here.

Female martial artist here... with lots of conflicting thoughts...

1. Training can increase your confidence in a threatening situation
2. Training can decrease your confidence as you know how much stronger a man of your own size and weight can be.
3. Being perceived as "trained" might invite more violence
4. Being perceived as trained might put off a potential attacker

It is true that some martial arts are all about the yin and using the attackers strength against them. And many also cover de-escalation as any self defence class should.

What I do know is that martial arts training is empowering in the sense of embracing your full physical potential. In a way that I think womens heavy weightlifting might be too. Women have been discouraged from "masculine" sports too long and saying "up yours" to that attitude helps you to say the same to other sexism.