Female Students... [Archive]

George Hyde

16th August 2000, 16:29

Gassho.

Hi All,

I'm new to e-budo, though I have been an infrequent visitor in the past. My question is this; how does one convince a female student that, with good technique, they can be just as powerful and effective as a man?

I teach Shorinji Kempo at University College London and have been for about 2 years. Unlike most SK dojos in the UK, at least 50% of my students are female around 18 - 26 years old. They are all regular, keen, happy students, eager to learn and each (notwithstanding my aforementioned concern) making good progress.

I know from first hand experience that female students are more than capable of measuring up to men, but the difficulty I have, is getting my female students to believe it. Whatever approach I take by way of offering 'proof', despite the fact that they all seem to understand AND agree with me, I can't help feeling that at the back of their minds they're saying, "..yes, but I'm just a girl". They remain unconvinced and this is evident in their practice.

Does this ring bells with any of you? Do any of you have any practical suggestions (exercises, etc)? Am I just being impatient?

I know I'm not expecting too much and wouldn't want to suggest otherwise.

Thanks in advance.

BrianV

16th August 2000, 20:34

George,
I don't try to.

Would you try to convince a 140 cm tall man weighing 75 kilo that he can be just as powerful doing a squat thrust as a 186 cm tall, 120 kg powerlifter? Of course not.
I have always taken the approach that it is not right to try and equate my students to one another, but instead to tell them about how they can optimize their natural build and talents to better aide them.

I teach Jujutsu, and when my ladies hit the floor, I will tell you that even my big fellas take them seriously in grappling, which is generally regarded as a male dominated area.

How?? By using their natural ability and common sense. The smaller people, male and female, in my style use finger locks, nerves and pressure points to great advantage.

Having been on the recieving end of these techs, I can assure you that they give a large boost to the confidence and arsenal of smaller people.

How this would apply to your art I don't know, but I am sure you get the gist of my thought.

Great question!!

Thomas Wahl

16th August 2000, 20:42

Hi!

With females in the martial arts it is always a little difficult. First of all, You have to be very patient with them. What a trainer and their training-partners should not do, is to handle them like females. Better handle them like You would handle a normal member of Your training-group.
I'm also know that a woman can be as effective as a man.
After a certain while of basics, introduce them to more realitiy-based training. Do with them sparring or ground-fighting. Then they will be more relaxed in training! They are not worried anymore to be touched by other males! Sure! it's no problem for a man to win against a woman in a ground-situation, when she has not much experience! So let her "slip" out of a hold or something like that, so she can fight on. By time You make it more and more difficult for her. This gives her alot of confidence, because she see, that she can fight and win!
Ok! not every woman can be a fighter, just as it is with males!

Tetsutaka

16th August 2000, 20:42

I tell my female students then need to do three things:

1) grow stronger
2) work on economy of movement
3) realize that there is no substitute for determination

Now, there are limitations to all three - but the jist of it is to imprint on them that the technique is not a silver bullet - they still need to work to *make it work*.

When I say "grow stronger" I mean developing levels of power that are not "expected" for their body size.

When I say "economy of movement" I mean don't dance aroudn with technique - be direct and firm in movement.

When I say "determination", I mean that there is no magic cure for evil. It's only you and your desire to make it through the event and survive.

Incidently, it's also what I tell the men...

;)

Warwick

16th August 2000, 21:37

I think, and tell people I'm teaching, that women actually have an advantage in martial arts training by being generally smaller and weaker than men. A lot of men, particularly large strong men, can make a technique "kind of" work just through muscle strength, and so they never learn how to do it really well, because they have no emotional incentive to learn it better. They think "I'm pretty good, and going to the gym and lifting weights will make me even better". Smaller, weaker people (men or women) who can't do that have to learn good technique and strategy to be effective. Their advantage comes from the fact that they know they have to work hard to learn good technique etc. That hard work will ultimately make them better and more effective than the strong guys "kind of" making do with strength. A lot of guys don't realise that, at least not until they've been training for a long time (and see smaller, weaker people getting better than they are).

I've known and trained with some big guys who are very good, but it's more common in my experience for the people who are REALLY good to be smaller in stature.

Warwick Hooke

DJM

16th August 2000, 21:54

Originally posted by Warwick
I think, and tell people I'm teaching, that women actually have an advantage in martial arts training by being generally smaller and weaker than men. A lot of men, particularly large strong men, can make a technique "kind of" work just through muscle strength, and so they never learn how to do it really well, because they have no emotional incentive to learn it better.
<snip>
Warwick Hooke
Good as far as it goes..
BUT, being a fairly big guy, I know I don't 'settle' for technique that just works. But being fairly inexperienced I'd imagine that some of the techniques that feel like they've worked were actually borderline, but worked because of my size...
As opposed to having the reassurance that if it worked then it was spot on...

Just a thought,
David

Rob

17th August 2000, 09:46

Interesting Topic.

Personally my favourite advice regarding teaching Women (also applies in a lot of situation) was

"All I see is Gi !"

Personally I've always found the differences between individuals regardless of gender, age, race or sexuality to be much wider than the simliarities between people of a 'type'.

I have a number of women in my Dojo, some of whom need to work on attacking (they don't want to hurt anyone) and also on confidence. I also have some men like that.

I have one women who has to work on control and 'reigning' in her natural enthusiasm so that people will train with her - again some blokes the same.

Generally I find with people who need convincing that they really can 'do it' against a bigger stronger oppoinent is to start off with someone closer to their own size until they understand the technique and then give them on of the big guys to play with.

Watching a one of my most shy and nervous female students take a six footer trying to take her head off with a base ball bat and drop him hard is one of the things that keeps me coming back. (The grin on his face as he hits the mat, and the expression on hers when it's her turn with the bat are two other highlights)

Anyhoo just my rambling thoughts when I should be working.

MarkF

17th August 2000, 10:35

OK, so the little guy (or woman) with great technique can beat the big guy. In general, I agree, as I have no choice. I am one of them little guys at 5'3". So what does the little guy do against this: I know of a judoka in New Jersey who is nearly seven feet tall, weighs well over 700lbs. and, well, I think we can see where this is going. What do you do? The only advantage I can see which will work in a self-defense mode, is that I can run faster than him, but what about randori?

BTW: This guy is also a sumotori. His name is Manny. Hi, :wave: Manny!

BrianV

17th August 2000, 11:07

Hi Mark,

I always take the basics approach, especially in a self defense sit with an opponent such as your friend.

Break the fingers
Jab or rake the Eyes
Genitalia Twisting
Ear Boxing

I am sorry it is unimaginative, but I have used them in the past in self defense, and against much larger-stronger people.

I know they work.

Regards and eager to learn,

TommyK

18th August 2000, 03:49

Greetings,

Rob Wallis hit the nail on the head, ALL YOU SHOULD SEE IS THE UNIFORM!!! Next, the old people, the fat people, the skinny people, the...people will all be looking for special consideration. The only thing one should see is the uniform!

Regards,
TommyK

Iain Richardson

18th August 2000, 06:34

I was one of the little (120lb, 5'3) unconvinced people for a long time. I'm not a woman, but nonetheless I understand the feeling of being hoplessly overpowered by a bigger opponent. There is one shodan at my club, Stewart Mackenzie, who is physically my exact opposite (240lb, 6'8 consisting of layer after layer of impenetrable muscle ontop of a reinforced steel skelton and coated with nerveless cured cow hide). Short of a bullet or a sword in the back, the guy is invincible. he feels no pain, and is practically unchokeable. Pressure points merely anger him, and broken bones just mean that he has one less appendage with which to bludgeon you into a messy pulp. This combined with lighning quick reflexes and almost flawless technique make for a mighty scary opponent... mighty scary. Fortunatley, he is a nice guy, a bit of a dink sometimes (by personal admission, I might add), but usually his dinkitude serves a puropse (usually means I'm doing something wrong).

Anyway, back on topic. In all the time I have spent training with sensei Stew, I have at least become used to the presense of a big scary chunk of muscle, and I no longer just give up when it comes to randori or the boxing cross training we do. My point? The only thing that can help a person overcome their fear is to confront them with it. If your student doesn't think (s)he can beat a larger opponent, pair him/her off with the biggest guy in the club and have them practice together until she becomes used to his presence. Have him/her grow used to the idea of a large scary looking opponent attacking him/her. This is one of those problems that all the talk in the world will not fix. It's just a case of getting the person with the problem to confront it and be rid of it sooner rather than later.

now if I can just overcome my fear of people my own size I'll be set! (it's just that little people are so fast!)

Oh, and as for the 7 foot tall 400lb sumotori, even trying to take him in randori may be enough to throw him off and give you an edge. Do something nutty like a flying armbar! Large people almost always expect a win over a smaller opponent, and the smaller guy almost always expects to loose. You can use this to your advantage if you are small. First of all, the bigger guy is usually overconfident of his abilities, and second of all, in your desperation at the thought of loosing, you are more willing to try things you would usually never attempt. There is nothing more scary than a person with nothing to loose.

Iain Richardson

MarkF

18th August 2000, 10:01

Well, actually, I 've only seen Manny Yarborough on television; the Tonite Show; twice. Yes, after thirty-seven years, and being this small, the big guys do tend to become smaller, and easier to handle. Manny, on the other hand is by far the biggest judoka I have ever seen. There have been some his height (Geesink, more or less) but not that wide. Since his legs are his weakest point, tai otoshi is not a bad throw to put on. He does not have much strength, from what I could see, from there. There are a myriad of waza to use, but one thing we small guys learn and do it as well as can be done, technique, and it has to be near perfect, but that does off-set the size.

For teaching women who have the mindset of "only," I would recommend anything written by J. Kano. His perceptions of what one could do with proper waza, and short bursts of strength from the "center" (hips and shoulders), he proved this by teaching women. For Kata, he had women demonstrating kata in photographs, and early drawings of jiudo, small women, dressed as geisha, are in the drawings throwing, or countering, a big guy. It is never hopeless, and in fact, for a lot of the reasons given here, good waza does win out in the end, especially for women on the small side. Hell, most of the women I have taught were giants, some even 5'6"!

Lain, we little blokes need to stick together. Sometimes, and this is in the case of the Manny Yarboroughs out there, it does take two.;)

But I agree, there is an advantage here. The first one is using what the big ones where "only dogi" is seen, usually think, and that is "oh, he is a little fellow." Remember the fourteen year old Shiro Saigo in the infamous Tokyo Police judo v jujutsu matches around the turn of the century. What match today is rememberd most from that tournament, or shi ni ai? Saigo. And he beat the biggest and strongest they had. Maybe it is a good idea that women train a little more in kata. Waza is everything!

Mark

George Hyde

18th August 2000, 10:52

Hi All,

First off - thanks for your enthusiastic interest, it's very welcoming for a first timer.

On the whole, I don't think this is quite as simple as a matter of size. I've seen many very diminutive guys scare the bejeezus out of bigger blokes and a number of "well built" athletic girls exhibiting just the kind of attitude I was originally talking about - even when teamed with smaller girls.

As one or two of you pointed out, it comes down to attitude. Personally, I try to cultivate in my students (of both gender) an inner determination not to be a victim. Without that, all the fancy waza in the world won't help. An attacker will rarely pick a 'challenge' instead of a dead-cert victim. If one can muster enough breath, voice, kiai and unshaken eye contact, even the most determined of attackers will be forced to consider you as the former.

The "all I see is gi" approach is a good one. However, as a responsible teacher I feel I also have to consider the boundaries of individual students. Some of my students like nothing more than to go hell for leather and worry about the bruises later. Teaming them up with less committed individuals can be detrimental to both.

In short, I think the best approach is to learn by experience and as a teacher I try to provide as much opportunity for this as possible. That is usually when I hit the problem. All too often, with my female students, as they are doing the technique, there is clearly something going on in the mind that says, "..yup, I've seen how this technique is supposed to work, but who's he kidding... I'm just a girl". Consequently the technique doesn't work and the "experience" they get, is not what was planned for.

Any ideas?

Margaret Lo

18th August 2000, 14:45

Great thread and great advice. Sometimes, however, any teacher must just demand a performance out of someone.

Yell at the women if they show weak attitude. You cannot be encouraging all the time, thereby accepting their insecurity, they have to rise to the demands of a martial art, not the other way around.

I also tell the women - that nothing in martial arts ever guarantees anyone, man or woman, success in self defense, and the bigger and stronger the opponent the smaller their chance of success. If they ever do meet a 250 lb 6 foot 3 in. attacker, probably they will die and that's reality!!!

But I followup to say that by training seriously they may improve their odds against some smaller, weaker men and that is an overall improvement from no training whatsoever.

Given a realistic goal, it is easier to imagine success. Also, some women will never strike seriously at a dojomate because they perceive that person as a friend. I tell them that this approach actually shortchanges the other person since defense side cannot practice a credible defense without a credible attack. For many women, the belief that they are helping someone by being aggressive will overcome their inhibitions.

My 2 cents.

-M-

P.S. If you tell the female students that they can't measure up to the guys, sometimes that infuriates them and makes them work harder. :D you'll just have to accept the flak that may result - since it is the truth.

[Edited by Margaret Lo on 08-18-2000 at 09:48 AM]

Thomas Wahl

18th August 2000, 19:41

Hi Margaret!

You are speaking right out of my heart! A woman (or better a member of a training group in a martial art) has to fit her/his attitude to the martial art not vice versa!!
The same problem often have men, when they think, it is nice to try once a martial art.
When they think that they fail, because they cannot do enough pushups (less than the woman next to them) or are not as tough as they think, they are, they quit!!

So men have the same problems with martial arts-training and self defence as women!

The more they train, the better they are, the higher chances they have, to survive a fight. But they also have a better sense for danger and so to avoid a fight at all. That training in awareness is something, what many martial artist fail to learn or to realize!

Yojimbo558

18th August 2000, 20:36

Hi George,

Great post, regardless of what styles involed you've hit a universal constant ( whether it applies to women or short people in general ).

One of the first things I do is take a large opponent
and have them hold out their fist in front of them to demonstrate their reach and let it touch the nose of a short person that I picked. I have the short person hold out their fist so that they can graphically see just how much the taller persons reach exceeds theirs. After demonstrating this I show how they can close the distance by coming at their opponent diminishing their reach advantage by coming in at 45 degree angles.

Combine this by teaching them foot stomps so that the taller person will bend over bringing either multiple targets into reach or merely off balancing them for an easy throw.

Pressure points are great...but their an additional perk...not all opponents react to them as someone already indicated. The eyes are a beautiful strike...hitting one causes both to tear...a good placed strike ( not even a powerful one ) will drop the attacker and leave them for minutes, taking around 5 - 10 min to recover. Showing the vulnerability of the ears. The effects of grabbing skin and twisting it etc...

Another thing thats fun is taking the female or smaller male and having them do a ( medium power )strike to the midsection of their partner. As the blow is received and they see their opponent unfazed, I have them do another blow. This time the blow is aimed in a down ward motion to the their opponents rear third point ( ie where the third leg of a tripod would be if they had a pole coming out of their but so to speak ). By changing the angle they see how the same blow is neither absorbed by their partner, nor leaving them balanced...either dropping them or making them stumble to regain their balance.

Showing the weak points and time will gain their confidence. Keep at it. When they do something that works, don't merely say good, but point out why it worked. When they don't succeed again point out why...in the end with determination they'll find it.

Eric Bookin

TommyK

19th August 2000, 01:31

Greetings,

Here, Here, TO Ms. Lo! You are right on the money, I could not have said it better myself! Thank you for your keen observations.

Regards,
TommyK

Tonya Easton

26th August 2000, 23:23

Interesting topic.
I think anyone, male or female, has on occasion seen a technique demonstrated and thought to themselves...."Yeah right"!
Until you've been in it long enough to know through experiance, that eventually you learn it and it does work, there are doubts.
In a non-martial arts setting a woman has an advantage solely because very few women have a background in martial arts or good self defense. Attackers may sometimes expect a basic self defense tactic taught in a 1 day seminar, but rarley does anyone expect the technique that is learned through years of study from a women.
Personal I love fighting the big guys. I figure if I can take the big ones and especially the big ones with good technique.... I must be doing pretty well.

I also believe that every fight is based on the individual circumstances and no one going in is always an automatic winner because of size or gender.

The only way to prove to women that the technique can work for a woman, is to have a woman demonstrate it, ( unless the woman has trust and belief in her sensei and is able to gain the confidence strictly from that). Thats rare.

dao

27th August 2000, 02:52

The bigger they are, the bigger the target and the harder they fall!

Since we're all different, all students need to be treated differently. However, your expections for your female and male students should be the same.

TommyK

27th August 2000, 03:29

Greetings,

Women should NOT be treated differently then men, as in the real world the potential mugger, rapist, robber, etc., will make no preferential treatment in the selection of women as their victims.

Regards,
TommyK

Thomas Wahl

27th August 2000, 08:31

Hi TommyK!
Your are 100% right!
I think that a teacher/trainer/sensei has to do it in that way. No compromises! If a woman won't come to the training anymore because of that? Ok! Also good. I think it's better for a woman not to train than being trained in a wrong manner! Because this can lead her (also a man!) to trouble in a real confrontation!

George Ledyard

28th August 2000, 01:50

Originally posted by George Hyde
[B
Gassho.
Hi All,
I'm new to e-budo, though I have been an infrequent visitor in the past. My question is this; how does one convince a female student that, with good technique, they can be just as powerful and effective as a man?
[/B]
It is my considered opinion that the best way to put women in touch with their power is for them to do a model mugging or derivative intensive. The people who teach these are highly trained in techniques specifically designed to empower women. The techniques are simple, most of the emphasis is on the mental aspect, breaking down the barriers they have to acknowledging their own power.

I have seen the training they do and the results. A woman with no previous martial arts experience can come out with the ability to knock out an attacker twice her size. Anyway, once they know they have that ability they are in a totally different mindset when they train.

We can accomplish the same thing over time in the dojo but it saves a lot of time and effort to do it this way.

StevenP

29th August 2000, 22:15

I'd like to thank the author for this post. It raises some wonderful questions. And I'd also like to thank Margaret for pointing out the truism that there are no certainties.

While being firm sometimes proves necessary for all students, I would caution anyone working with insecure students, be the males or females, to yell at them. It might work for some percentage of them, but the ones it doesn't work for will be hurt by the process.

Frankly, I tell ALL of my students that size DOES matter. I have to have better technique against someone twice my size than I do against someone my own size. I think the question, therefore, comes down to a matter of whether or not there is potential in the technique itself for it to overcome size and strength. For that reason, I typically frown on any technique that looks to me as though it requires strength to be fully applicable, or at all applicable, for that matter.

Therefore, I suggest pairing your more capable female students with the largest male students you have. Use the size differential as a learning tool. Let the insecure students learn to apply at least one technique against the biggest, strongest students in class. BUT the technique really has to have the capacity to overcome size and strength if applied with sufficient skill and understanding.

I also suggest that you make a deliberate but subtle effort to praise your more insecure students during class. Don't praise them unwarrantingly so, but praise them when you can. Take advantage of smaller opportunities to lift them up before the class (not literally, of course). I find great power in saying, "Attention! Everyone watch so-and-so perform this technique! s/he's really got it!"

Hope this helps.

Peace.

Joseph Svinth

6th September 2000, 17:41

http://www.derbykarateclub.freeserve.co.uk/KAYART.html

another view: http://www.shikon.com/sr9405d.htm

[Edited by Joseph Svinth on 09-06-2000 at 12:43 PM]

Steve Williams

6th September 2000, 19:49

Originally posted by TommyK
Greetings,

Women should NOT be treated differently then men, as in the real world the potential mugger, rapist, robber, etc., will make no preferential treatment in the selection of women as their victims.

Regards,
TommyK

I would not agree, there will be a preferential treatment in the selection of women as the victim.
Women will invariably be chosen as the victim in most mugger and rapist attacks.

So I feel that in training for form, dependant on style, there should be no differentiation between sexes, but women should be encouraged to use more exact technique in grappling/ close range paired training/ sparring, again dependant on style.
Women invarialy have smaller hands and feet than men and can theoretically reach pressure points on the human body with as much (if not more) accuracy as larger men.

In most cases is this not a better focus for women to aim for.

MarkF

7th September 2000, 08:44

Hi, StevenP,
Just a little business and then you canget back to the discussion. Please sign with yur full name. It is best to use the signature box function in the profile for this.

Thanks!:)

Mark

Joseph Svinth

7th September 2000, 09:29

I'm not sure that women are the "invariable" victims of sexual assault. For example, read the sleaze that I've been posting up in Bad Budo and you'll notice that several of the MA instructors listed there apparently like teenage boys more than women.

And, while females of a given ethnic group and social class are on average smaller than males of the same group and class, individuals have significant differences...

[Edited by Joseph Svinth on 09-07-2000 at 04:43 AM]

efb8th

7th September 2000, 18:52

Hey, Mark!

I know a surefire way for you to beat your seven-footer. There's a very sensitive nerve nexus in the top of the foot which, when precisely slammed with a forty pound wooden maul, produces such pain that you and all the other little guys in the dojo can push him over when he dances around on the other foot screaming.

I would suggest it only after trying everything else.

MarkF

9th September 2000, 08:07

Hi, Ed,

That is one way and a block of wood does come in handy in a situation such as this one.:up:

You know how many people (not necessarily martial artists) say the best defense is a good offense? I would try my hardest to be as good a friend as possible, and that would be the defense and practical offense (verbal "judo")? If he isn't wearing a "cup," I can think of other ways of bringing him down to, well, almost my size. I may have to reach a bit, but once the "lock" is cinched, he would be tapping the mat so hard, that he would leave a hole big enough for the State of New Jersey to come through.:D

Atalanta316

12th September 2000, 22:36

Hey, all. I'm new to the site, and I'm finding the discussion on women training in the dojo fairly interesting.

Thank you, to the people who say that one should only see the gi. Not only is it disrespectful for someone to pull and attack or be overly gentle, it's dangerous; while the female student may learn the form and content of the technique, it will be difficult to use it in a real situation, where the energy of the attacker is opposite to what she is used to. She might miss an important twist of the spine or hips, or a movement of the feet that would otherwise be needed if the attacker had intention.

Looking around our training group, I've noticed that many women get uncomfortable with the idea of working with a bigger person: this may be expressed in nervous laughter, or frustration, or whatever other outlet. I think that intstructors need (and for the most part do) impress the seriousness and the intensity that should be present in the training. For men and women alike, training is about pushing comfort zones (safely and mindfully, but nevertheless, pushing them). I firmly believe that women should go after the biggest guys in the training group, and take advantage of the wonderful training they can give.

But just to throw out a question, do instructors consider what women can bring to the dojo? While the training shouldn't be easier, or really different in any way, men and women each have unique gifts that perhaps can be emphasized in the dojo. Someone mentioned women's smaller hands and feet, for example, can hit pressure and pain points more easily. What about women's inclination for intuition (if you'll allow me to generalize based on my own experience), or healing, or protection, or even compassion? There's no doubt that women can excel in ninjitsu (look at Natasha Morgan, Abby Allen, and others in your own training groups). Perhaps those more timid, shy women can identify more with those other aspects of ninjitsu, and then get into the rest. An instructor once told me that no one should "throw" an attacker, merely help him find a place on the ground where he can contemplate the result of his actions. Things like that. But its just a thought.

I'm really enjoying the site. :)

Have a good day!

Maureen O'Donnell

Rob

13th September 2000, 13:24

Maureen

In answer to your question what can women bring to the dojo there are a number of answers.

The first thing that springs to my mind is other women, it's my experience that Dojo with a number of women students especially of high rank find it easier to recruit and retain new female students.

Again without wanting to generalise it is a fact that women are GENERALLY smaller and less reliant on physical strength than men, in the art of Jujitsu that I teach I often use the women in my class as examples. Not because there technique is necessarily better than a big guys but because it's more obvious that it is technique not power which is working.

The next thing generally I find that women bring to the dojo is a little bit of civilisation, when men gather in male only groups there is a tendency towards macho / testosterone driven behaviour which a more even balance of gender tends to alleviate. Also generally I find women are more keen to share experience in their training and less inclined to treat it at as a competition.

However on the downside particularly as I teach in a University club where most of the students are in the 18 - 24 age range I have to be wary of the way boys tend to show off in the presence of women. (I believe someone once said, Men go to war when women are watching)

Finally for me, they bring an added inspiration, my first jujitsu instructor was a Woman and was one of the scariest people I've ever met (on the mat). At the time I was quite a small guy and I've never been much of a fan of fighting(I've developed a bit too much Hara since then) and seeing this lady not only have the skill but also the attitude that she expressed on the mat was a real inspiration.

That's it for the positive things. For the purpose of balance I feel it's important to be aware of some of the negative sides. Again please excuse these are by necessity generalisations.

Some women who join martial arts not only want to be treated differently to the guys they expect it and this causes tension (they don't usually stay).

I have had and am aware of other instructors who have had problems with female students who seem more keen on being 'friends' with the instructor than with training.
(I'm sure this is also a problem for female instructors with male students also)

However as I tried to say in an earlier post I find that seperating students into Men and Women is only as usefull a way of describing them as saying Big or Small, committed or less so or any other number of ways of describing the tide of humanity that washes through the doors of any dojo.

ssanutokh

29th January 2009, 21:10

I know of a judoka in New Jersey who is nearly seven feet tall, weighs well over 700lbs. and, well, I think we can see where this is going. What do you do? The only advantage I can see which will work in a self-defense mode, is that I can run faster than him, but what about randori?

In a self defence mode against a trained martial artist of that bulk, I would *highly* recommend the 'two .38 caliber slugs in the pelvis' technique, repeated as necessary until the bastard goes down. Just be sure to keep the weapon trained on him until he's fully unconscious, then call the police. Carefully.

On the mat, however, my experience has been that the biggest guys are *generally* pretty gentle about mopping the floor with me - when I've broken anything it's been with opponents about my size.