SD3

Self Defense does not begin with the act of striking back; it starts with concepts of self-respect,
self reliance and autonomy. Self-respect is the feeling that your individual self is worth defending
from assault; self-reliance is the conviction that you are competent to take care of yourself;
autonomy implies that you are able to make decisions for yourself and take responsibility for your
health wellbeing. The question "Does a woman lose her femininity if she learns self defense?
implies that femininity is synonymous with passivity, docility, helplessness and dependence.
The helpless woman, more alluringly feminine as she is more helpless, is a stereotype woman. The
statement that women (all women) are helpless is in conflict with reality

Neither men nor women can be defined as inherently passive or dominant; neither men nor
women are inherently self-reliant or dependent. Every culture has its definition of what constitutes
feminine behavior.
Women are increasingly facing the reality that they have the capacity to take care of themselves and
that they need to develop their capacities into learned competence. They are increasingly realizing
that they need to take responsibility for themselves if they are to fulfill their potentials as human
beings. They are becoming increasingly aware that self-respect, self-reliance and autonomy are the
basics for good relationship.
Is Self Defense Instinctive?
Most of what we know is learned. We learn from instruction or through observation and much of

what we call "instinctive" behavior is behavior we learn at such an early age that we do not recall
the process of learning it. You don't know how to swim instinctively. You do not know how to
escape from burning building by instinct. Instinct does not tell you how to give simple first-aid.
You are taught basic swimming to protect you from drowning; you take fire drill to cope with the
emergency of fire; you learn first-aid through instruction.
The techniques and procedures and physical actions which minimize danger of assault and which
are effective against assault are not instinctive in either men or women. If the ability to defend
oneself were a natural "manly" attribute, then all men could defend themselves. Self-defense is
neither masculine or feminine; it is learned skill and anyone can learn it. It is not particularly
complicated or difficult, but is not automatic. It must be learned!

Almost anyone can learn practical self-defense is a fairly short time without becoming an expert
fighter. This point of view is based on many years of experience in the field. The principal obstacles
to teaching and learning self defense are concepts and practices which are out-dated and
inappropriate, but which are still widely accepted. One way of defining practical self-defense is to
clarify what is not. Self-defense is not warfare; it is not personal vengeance; it is not a way of life; it
is not a TV or movie fight scene.
In sum, self-defense instruction is preparation to minimize the possibility of assault; it is training to
learn and use a small group of simple, effective physical actions if no other alternative is available.
Learning self-defense is primarily the process of learning how to avoid becoming a victim, and the
view that self defense instruction is preparation to become a skilled fighter has the effect of
eliminating those who most need to learn how to protect themselves.