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I saw this in the \”Motivation\” thread and thought it might make another great topic:
KravMDJeff ~ \”I had a more subtle version of the same conversation just two days ago. The county where our KM facility is located, I contacted the Center for Domestic Violence in the area. I met with 12 clinicians (all women, all wearing business clothing whereas I had just come from teaching class so I was wearing standard Krav attire). They were very quick to mention that they offered anger management classes for anyone that we thought was becoming dangerous as a result of our training. I had to physically prevent myself from laughing before I explained that identifying people with anger issues in Krav Maga is probably one of the easiest things i’ve ever done, and so far we don’t have any.\”
I find it interesting that some people feel this kind of training could create or perhaps fuel aggression in its students. We have an IMPACT program here in Chicago (it’s a self defense program for women), and I’m attending one of their core programs in February. I was discussing this with my instructor, and he said on several occasions he has offered to help IMPACT in some way. Most recently, he offered his school as a place to conduct a core program so that women from the burbs don’t have to go into the city (and IMPACT is always looking for places).
They won’t touch him with a ten foot pole. In fact, they won’t even answer his emails or return his phone calls.
I contacted the program coordinator a few weeks ago by email and mentioned that my self defense instructor was willing to offer up his facility for training. She emailed me back within an hour saying how great that was, how they badly needed places to hold their core programs. She wanted his name, his phone and email and she signed her email, \”This couldn’t have come at a better time. We need a place for April! Thank you, thank you, thank you!\”
Sounds great right? Well, I send the info to her..and nothing. Nada. They don’t call, they don’t email, it’s like nothing happened.
Sure, perhaps it’s just a communication thing or maybe she got caught up in something else, etc. But I’m suspicious. He said he’s tried over the years, and they’ve completely ignored him. I’m wondering if she was turned off once she saw his affiliation with Krav.
Just speculation, of course. But I can’t help but wonder if this is similar to what Jeff mentioned ~ people thinking Krav is too aggressive and therefore never giving it a fair shake.
I’m going to pigeon-hole again (I’m on a roll today), but there are essentially three types of people–sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves. The sheepdogs remind the sheep that the wolves exist, so they don’t like them. Also, the sheepdog looks too much like the wolf–big teeth, capable of violence, etc. The difference is, the sheepdog can/should never harm the sheep, and would sacrifice itself for the sheep.
Look into Lt. Col. David Grossman for more on this (ignore his stats and such, but he has many great thoughts.)
No, I have a copy of one of his speeches in e-mail, and I have some CDs from a speech he gave to LEOs in LA. Bullshido is too much crap for me to sort through. 🙂
I think my instructor is a tad hurt by their rejection. He said it’s a community service thing, and he isn’t using it to prowl for new students. He knows tons of women aren’t going to flock to Krav just because they walk in the door of his training facility. He truly just wants to help.
I may feel the IMPACT people out during my time with them…see if it’s a lack of knowledge on their part, or if they feel threatened by the hint of competition (which is silly…I bet 8 out of 10 women will choose a girl-centered course over Krav).
Impact
Lor,
Are you in the city or out in the Burbs? I have some influential friends that may be of some assistance in your attempts to get Impact to all that want to attend. I guess thats where I can’t seem to get it. Why not offer the program for those that want it? Isn’t saving even one person worth it? Let me know and I’ll make some calls.
John
Thank you. 🙂 I’m in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. The place where I train is in Buffalo Grove.
According to Leslie, the Workshop Director, they are in need of a spot for April. The program I’m attending is being held in Evanston, which is not an impossible distance for us on the Northwest Side, but it’s not real convenient either. Other programs are held somewhere in the city, but I’m not familiar with the areas.
Point being, our Krav center is the perfect location for NW women. Again, I don’t know if IMPACT just never got around to contacting my instructor or what, but I know he has tried in the past and got nowhere. He can’t figure it out.
It could be there’s another issue that I don’t know about (legal maybe), but I’m with you…I don’t get it. The women I know are way more likely to take IMPACT than Krav. Why not combine strengths and provide service to all?
most of the people I know that could help are MOMS! They live in the Northern suburbs and have not only the time but I believe would think this as a great thing to work on. My relatives live in Wilmette, they have lots of friends in and around the N and NW suburbs. I say start a Krav angle….if Impact doesn’t play well with others maybe we shouldn’t allow them in our sandbox! 😈
An attempt to have an all women orientation may be a good way to intro them into the way of KM and with other women working with them the intimidation factor is less than if you co-ed the \”seminar\”. Just a thought, but I would help in your endeavor if you need it.
You see I have great feelings on a womens ability to defend. My sister was a victim of sexual assault. In my world, Krav Maga actually helps me deal with the anger of not being there to protect my sis when she needed me most(I was at college). She is aces now, and I am so proud of her strength and ability to go forward with the business of living.
Anyway that’s my motivation for helping. Noone should have to experience a violation such as this.
John
JL, similar experiences, which is why I’m heading this up for our facility.
I think sometimes it’s a deeper issue than just an emotional reaction to fighting back. I think it’s worldview/ideology based.
At the outset of secular humanism, there became a mindset that humans have within their ability to rise above all the evils they experience, even the ones they create. At similar times, Western Rationalism was hitting its heyday and we placed all of our eggs in the cognition basket, thinking that our mind was our only valuable tool. This obviously never hit the masses, but the intellectual elite embraced stuff like this (17th-19th centuries).
The snowball effect ended up with a mindset that has people believing that, through enough education (which only developed nations like America have access to, via $$$) and conversation (which is great when you already have food on the table and you aren’t in any imminant danger), are the two things that can solve all conflict. I hate to make broad, sweeping generalizations, but this is the basis for much of the modern liberal approach to the problems of the world. Though education and conversation are two of my great passions, there are many issues in this world that will be solved by neither. No amount…ever.
To piggyback on Ryan’s analogy, sometimes the sheep get confused about their roles and start trying to function like sheepdogs, herding other sheep and running around trying to protect their fellow sheep. Of course, these posers don’t have the teeth or claws that the sheepdogs have, so when the wolves come, the only protection the sheep have are other sheep. It is then that I pray for the sheep, because they are trusting in other sheep when they should be trusting in sheepdogs, and have robbed themselves of valuable tools to keep out the wolves.
\”Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land….The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog trade in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, \”Baa.\”
Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.\”
Re:
JL ~ \”An attempt to have an all women orientation may be a good way to intro them into the way of KM and with other women working with them the intimidation factor is less than if you co-ed the ‘seminar’. \”
I’d love that, and I think my instructor would go for that too. Actually, I’ve noticed we’re getting more girls in class lately. Who knows, maybe a course focusing on specific issues for women may be in our future.
\”My sister was a victim of sexual assault.\”
Ugh, I’m so sorry to hear that. 🙁 I wonder what the current statistics are on that ~ how many women will likely face at least one incident in their lifetime?
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