Hi all I'm a Social Worker with the Australian government's main social security department and I have a lot of contact with women who have been abused (I don't like to use the term "victim" because it paints the women as powerless when this is by no means the case). I'd like to affirm what Lauren what Lauren Taylor wrote:
"Most people think of self-defense as what you do when a stranger jumps out of a dark alley and attacks you. But as we all know, the greatest threat is not strangers in dark alleys. And there is a lot more to self-defense than knowing a few good strikes or how to get out of a hold (although we cover that too). I define self-defense as anything you do to keep yourself safe (including prevention and avoidance, like listening to your instincts and picking your friends wisely); to interrupt abuse or assault (whether physical, emotional, or psychic); or to take care of yourself and recover from violence or trauma." Whilst looking at changing the structures that allow violence against women to continue, self-defence is a marvelous tool for change at the most basic level. "Victims" of violence are robbed of their self esteem and sense of freedom, while self defence is a great way to help rebuild that. As both a Social Worker and a student of karate, I can vouch for the fact that it is an excellent way to empower women. The physical moves and blocks are important, but as Lauren explained it goes beyond this. The focus is on mutual respect and changing the boundaries of what you will not except from other people. I train in a class that is roughly gender-equal (regarding both my fellow students and my instructors), and have found that it teaches women that they are equal with men while teaching the men that women are to be respected and not ignored. I feel more specific training along Lauren's lines would be very beneficial for women. Regards, Rich Turner ***End-violence is sponsored by UNIFEM and receives generous support from ICAP*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe end-violence OR type: unsubscribe end-violence Archives of previous End-violence messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/end-violence/hypermail/
