Women's Only Class ??

[Cebu West]

Actually, with the classes combined, everyone is now getting more training time in. Regardless of gender, I put in as much time as my students need. This is a club and we take care of each other. Most of the time they tell me when it's time to leave. I'd keep going all night.

Sal

[RITFencing]

I knew that one would probably draw a little bit of fire, or at least suspicion...

I try to give every student I have the attention they need. However, I also know that I only have a limited amount of time in a given week, and if I spend all of that helping one student (or group of students), the others will suffer because of it, so some time management is definitely in order. In the same vein, if I devote, say 6 hours a week to gender mixed classes and another 3 to women's only training, then the female students now have 50% more training available to them than the men, based solely on gender. If we were to switch roles, and I said to all of my female students "Only the men can have those extra three hours per week," I'd be a pretty dang unfair instructor.

Conversely, is it fair to the best students if the instructor is constantly spending time with those that aren't as far along?

While I would rather have more training for only some students than less training for everybody, it still doesn't seem like a fair solution. It's actually quite a tricky ethical problem. I'm also aware that as far as self defense classes are concerned, the average woman faces a whole different ball game than the average man, and so there are additional advantages beyond the whole safe introductory/comfortable training environment.

Please understand that I'm not saying students who need help shouldn't get it, no more than I am saying women's only classes are a bad idea. I am more playing devil's advocate than anything else (and, as I said, I didn't think it would be a popular supposition when I made it), because it really does seem unfair to me that anyone, man or woman, should get more opportunities in because of their sex, but then again, I can totally see the advantages to women's only classes (in fact, the place I teach at is thinking of starting a women's class) which, once again, leads to a very sticky and interesting little quandary.

Of course, every instructor's ultimate duty is to ensure that the needs of their students are met. If all male students have their needs met by the regular class, and female students want another one (or in some cases an entirely different one) to meet additional or different needs, then I would conclude that it is fine. I do, however, think that there should be some other option open to the male students who want a bit of extra training or have their own special needs/interests. It doesn't even necessarily have to be male only, or it could be something that meets during the female class, perhaps in a different room if you have the facility for it. At this point, I'm honestly thinking out loud, just listing things from the top of my head.

[Carol]

My aunt teaches English as a Second Language.

She taught her first few sets of students well, then she had a set of students that she had a very difficult time teaching. The reason - it was her first time teaching students that were illiterate in their native tongue...and that surprised her. She had to learn new ways of teaching. Her first few sets of students could all read and write in their native tongue.

Personally I see some martial arts instructors with the same stuggles. They take on students but forget there are students out there that have yet to learn the alphabet and aren't sure how to teach them. Or they just keep going thinking eventually they will catch up.

There is no easy answer. Many teachers teach, but not teacher has it in them to see that their students learn.

[qi-tah]

Originally Posted by Cebu West

I would like to update you guys on how the women's class is going.

My original idea on having a women's only class followed by a general class seemed to work out well in the beginning. Soon after the women all wanted to combine the classes into one general one. I guess once they got comfortable they were ready for that. As it turns out the majority of the group is now women. They are as tough or tougher than many of the guys I've worked with. In fact two of them are my training partners are will give me a run for my money. If I'm not careful and slack off then they'll take my head off, and that is exactly what I expect of them. It is a pleasure to see their intensity and enthusiasm. Makes my job easier and fun. They even let me think I'm in charge, but I know better.
We will be having three new women join the class in September and that will make the girls be double the number of guys.

Thanks again to the MT Ladies for your support and advise.

Sal

Yay that's it's working out so well for you! It sounds like you have a good spread of experience and skill levels in your women's only class, which is ace... getting women to strike with enough force can be difficult sometimes and it helps if there are a few "role models" in class.

[Kamon Guy]

Excellent stuff. We tried a similar thing at Kamon. There would be the main classes as per usual, but we held regular women only seminars designed to build the confidence in women and build up the skills in a more comfortable environment

I think it is good to do both - train with men and women. To not train with guys is to leave a gap in your training

[Jade Tigress]

Mod Note

The posts discussing the use of the term *girls* when referring to women in class have been split into a new thread so the discussion can be continued without taking the original post off-topic.

Pamela Piszczek
MT Super Moderator