Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!aero-c!nadel
From: oneil@zeus.unomaha.edu (Truth or Dare?)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Rape on bicycle path
Message-ID: <16026.284f9dbe@zeus.unomaha.edu>
Date: 7 Jun 91 20:52:46 GMT
References: <9106061355.aa04157@ics.uci.edu>
Sender: news@aero.org
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Lines: 48
Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
Originator: nadel@aerospace.aero.org



In article <9106061355.aa04157@ics.uci.edu>, tittle@glacier.ICS.UCI.EDU (Cindy Tittle Moore) writes:
> In <1991Jun6.032952.23195@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu> n9020351@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu (James D. Del Vecchio) writes:

>>  Also foolish is the idea that lessons in Judo, boxing, Karate etc.
>>will make a small woman a match for a large determined man.  It just
>>isn't so.
> 
> Here is where we get into true feminism relevance.  This is not
> foolish at all -- it is only foolish if you subscribe to the notion I
> debunked above.  In the first place, many martial arts techniques,
> particularly defensive ones, are not designed to "beat up" the other
> person.  They are designed to disable or control the person.  If a
> large man attacked me, I would counter with disabling or potentially
> lethal techniques -- because I know very well that any prolonged fight
> is most likely to go badly for me.

	I agree with Cindy.  There's a difference between taking a few 
	lessons in Judo for self-defense and actual serious study of the
	martial arts. I do believe that actual, serious study of Judo does
	give a small woman the skill and strength to protect herself -- at
	least it gives her a better chance than she would have /without/
	that training.  
	
	I also agree with Cindy when she discusses how serious study in
	the martial arts can help lessen fear.  One thing that I learned in
	the five years I have studied Judo is not to panic when there's a 
	body on top of me.  I have learned how to escape from underneath a 
	very large man because I know what points are the weakest and what
	parts are the strongest.

	I fully believe that girls should be encouraged to take Judo.  It's
	probably the best martial art that a woman could study.  Judo does
	entail a lot more physical contact than Karate or Tae Kwon Do.  In
	Judo, you have to learn how to deal with having a person right up 
	next to you and it really is much more defensive than offensive.  It
	involves both standing and floor technique.  In fact, smallness can
	be an advantage in Judo -- when I'm going to throw a taller person,
	it's easier to position myself.  If I have to throw someone of my
	own height (not likely, since most of the time I work out with men and
	I'm only 5'2") it requires more effort.

	Not to mention the fact that when I'm actually able to devote time
	to Judo, I have the /best/ body I could ever want.  :-) 
 
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  Sharon Lindsey O'Neil  	  "I could be happy/I could be quite naive/
  Bitnet: oneil@unomai1		   It's only me and my shadow/Happy in our
  Internet: oneil@zeus.unomaha.edu 	make believe/Soon." -- Tears for Fears
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~