I am going to start teaching self defense...?

Question

to girls ages like 17-19 (right before they go to college. I am 50 years old and i have my blackbelt but my 13 year old daughter has a brown belt and when i asked her for advice on what to teach, she said that the girls would be more likely to pay attention and learn more if they were having fun and interested. So, if you were (or if you are) a girl ages 17-19 and were going to take a self defense class teaching you how to defend yourself from kidnapping, rape, robbers, ertc. What would make the class fun for you and what are some fun and creative ideas to make my class unique and fun and helpful

Answer 1

Engage them.  That's the number one thing.  If they are bored you'll lose your audience FAST.  From a teenager's standpoint, Lecturing = Boring.  Engaging = Awkward, but at least they'll learn something.

So start off first with simple techniques that work - use yourself as the "attacker" and show them what they as a "victim" can do to get away safely.  Let someone in the audience try a technique on you (choose carefully so you don't get injured.)

Second, let them try on each other - one student against another.  That way you can correct their technique, and they can actually get a feel for what the attacker experiences when the student uses a technique on them.

Third, use real-life situations they may encounter.  Walking across the quad late at night.  Going to their car after a movie.  Being alone getting money at an ATM.  Not just "so some guy grabs you".  They need to be able to visualize the scenario.

Fourth, have a prize for the top student in any session.  A key ring with a japanese character for "strength".  A little can of pepper spray.  Something that fits the class and that's not goofy - a black belt teddy bear is goofy by the way.

Good luck - sounds like you are doing a good thing.

Answer 2

Rob B has given good practical advice !!

Personally speaking though my suggestion would be to keep the teaching serious as fun practiced in class may well be that but in the cold reality of survival situations ( with due respect to yourself and your daughter ) how you train is how you react in my experience so I'd keep the training as real as possible within health and safety of course.

Only my humble opinion.

I wish you every success with your endeavour best wishes :)***

Answer 3

First, teach them to trust their instincts to get out of a situation before it goes bad.

Second, teach them that alcohol will dull those instincts so whey should always have one sober friend who they will listen to in their group when they go out.

Third, teach them to make a scene.  Noise and attention scares away most attackers.  However, they need to do it in a strong way, not by appearing like a weak victim.  They need to say, "BACK OFF MUTHA-F****ER OR  I WILL KILL YOU!" instead of "No, stop hurting me."  Let them practice saying things like that.  They'll get into screaming and cussing.

Teach them how to get out of wrist grabs because that's where a lot of assaults start.  Then choke holds and hair grabbing.  Always finish the defense with running away.

My favorite self-defense for women is pinching the femoral nerve.  It's right in the crotch area so guys think you're finally playing along at first.  Once it's pinched, it hurts like heck, affording enough time for them to get away.

Answer 4

look i'm not a girl but i did take Hap Ki Do self defense, what we did was alway switched it up working speed drills one day ground defense the others grappling and it was always fun ,some games we'd play was we had to jump roll over there mats or have to grab a ball in mid air as we are in the mist of a combat roll. but we never suger coated it we took it as realy as possible many time what i encountered in the gym was not as easy as the stuff as encountered out side of it. keep the training real but don't to brutal right away

Answer 5

Many self defense classes have very few physical defense techniques and a lot of talking about avoidance and verbal de-escalating.  My thoughts are  to touch briefly on that (it's important), but much of that is basic common sense.  Stress that the physical self-defense should be a last resort, but then TEACH it!  I think the hands on physical stuff is more "fun," too.  

I teach a 3-day self-defense class w/my trainer, and the best feedback we get is for the last piece we do.  We turn the lights dim in the lower level of our school, and set up a scenario (ie parking ramp, etc).  The student has a task - like get to their car, which we pretend is a bathroom.  My trainer (the suspect) will be down there, and one student at a time will start.  The student has to react appropriately for the situation and what the susupect does whether it's turn around, yell for help, run, or defend themselves physically using their new skills if appropriate.  Sometimes he will just walk by, sometimes he will approach them, sometimes attack them, sometimes wait by the "car," etc.  It puts people a little out of their comfort zone and helps them to practice those decision making skills.  

Sorry that got long, hopefully it makes sense!  

Answer 6

uhhh I think BACK OFF YOU'RE TOO CLOSE is better than BACK OFF MUTHA ****ER OR I WILL KILL YOU!!! because the second one will be taken as a threat and simply escalate the situation.

teach them how to verbally de-escalate situations that are sticky, and for the major problems just teach them that the best self-defense is to blast through one person and RUN. and make as much noise as possible.

actually "first A then B" techniques don't really work in real fighting situations. At that point chances are the woman would be so adrenalized that she can only remember a small amount of things. teach them to not freeze when they're adrenalized. this is called adrenal stress response training. my recommendation is to become a FASTdefense instructor and to get a bulletman suit. it is a suit of body armor made to absorb full contact blows to the head, body and groin by a person who is fully adrenalized (a HUGE amount of force, man or woman). this will prepare them the best for anything that is likely to come up.

Answer 7

Have them all read THE GIFT OF FEAR read it yourself make up scenarios based on incidents in the book mainly how to avoid them.

Also visit this site

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/tra...

go to the rape/assault section where you will get more ideas about training women.

It's ok to make it fun but only up to a point .If  it is to much fun they won't take it seriously and refuse to believe bad things can happen to them at any time in any place or situation.80% of assaults against women occur in situations and places where they should be safe from harm.