arnisador
05-13-2002, 02:09 PM
At the recent WMAA Modern Arnis Camp (http://www.wmarnis.com/camp/index.htm) (reviews here (http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=249) near the end of the thread and here (http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1935)), Guro Jaye Spiro did sessions on Modern Arnis for the Street during which she spoke extensively, though not exclusively, about women's self-defense. She strongly emphasized the way in which assaults on women often begin with repeated intrusions into the woman's personal space, pushing further and further, making "good-natured" contact, and had a number of demonstrations of how this could happen and verbal and minimally physical responses that could be used. (She worked her way up through the spectrum of force to more serious responses.) She emphasized that while we as martial artists like to train as though a punch to the face is always appropriate or at least fair in a threatening situation, that simply isn't the case--in the workplace, for health care practitioners attacked by patients, and so on. (All this is my parpaphrasing from my recollections, not her words.) She also emphasized the fact that running away, throwing something, and so on are always good responses, and while we all say that sort of thing, she actually demonstrated it (Peg Strain did an amusing but effective turn on getting away cleanly) and she had people practice it, which I thought was good. I say things like that all the time then move straight into breaking wrists and it made a good point to spend some time practicing escapes/running away, at least so it would remain on our minds. It's too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a kick to the groin is the only way out when what you practice is the martial arts and not self-defense, more broadly understood. Listening to her discuss women's self-defense and the real scenarios made me think. She emphasized that a jump-out-of-the-bushes scenario was less likely than an assault by someone known to the victim and who had prepared the way psychologically before the actual attack.
But my favorite thing that she did, and the main thing that I'll really use, was have us practice using our jackets as self-defense tools. We got our out-on-the-street coats and swung them around in a whip-like fashion as an opponent came in with a knife. I've said for more years than I can remember that this could be done in a self-defense situation, but I've never, ever played with it, and it's much more effective than I had thought! I took a zipper across the face and as she stated the zipper really stings, but even without that effect it ws still quite effective. As a rule I don't think we train with flexible weapons enough to really understand them--we know how much respect you gain for the knife if you really practice with it, especially FMA-style--and this brought home how useful a jacket really could be. From now on when I teach self-defense I'll do this exercise (with eye-goggles!).
But my favorite thing that she did, and the main thing that I'll really use, was have us practice using our jackets as self-defense tools. We got our out-on-the-street coats and swung them around in a whip-like fashion as an opponent came in with a knife. I've said for more years than I can remember that this could be done in a self-defense situation, but I've never, ever played with it, and it's much more effective than I had thought! I took a zipper across the face and as she stated the zipper really stings, but even without that effect it ws still quite effective. As a rule I don't think we train with flexible weapons enough to really understand them--we know how much respect you gain for the knife if you really practice with it, especially FMA-style--and this brought home how useful a jacket really could be. From now on when I teach self-defense I'll do this exercise (with eye-goggles!).