Self defense classes ?

Question

r self defense classes at college good as the classes at a dojo?

Answer 1

Jay is very correct It depends on who your instructor is. And the instructors school and back ground . Always ask to see the instructors credentials. And sit in on a class and ask a few questions. Is the school full contact one on one (full contact meaning you get to use what you are being taught against the instructor or student friends)

A lot teach sport martial arts and call them defense classes. Make sure you look around and test the school to see if you like the instruction and atmosphere.  

Answer 2

It depends on the teacher. Dojo to dojo will be different as well. Go for something like judo. So you can defend yourself, and learn how to fall, if you fall off your bike or get older or something.  

Answer 3

I think it depends on who is running the class. If it is the local police department or campus police, I think it would be a good class. The two I have taken were through a police department and were excellent.

Answer 4

Typically, no. I've sat in on more than my fair share of them. I'm sure that there could be a decent instructor out there, but I've yet to see one who does college self defense courses.

Most of them are weekend seminar types. One shot to learn how to defend yourself. Which are okay, if you actually practice it. But without the maturity to understand the need to practice and the understanding to keep you from being overconfident based on it, they can do more harm than good.

Those that are taught over consecutive terms as courses tend to be either combat/martial sports (sport-grade Taekwondo or Judo for example) and are usually taught by guys who are still doing student instruction in their own dojo/dojang/etc.

Now, there is one thing that I'll clarify -- There's a difference between being a part of the college (that is, as a course or a seminar) and being taught on the campus. For example, at UNLV, one of the local school in Las Vegas moved to the Student Health/Wellness Center (the gym facility), so there is the potential for something like this to happen at other campuses. I won't say they were great (used a lot of strength and discounted credibility of other arts), but they did a better job of teaching self-defense than any other group I'd seen on campus.