Female self defense class - with conditions

[AustinBoy]

So after a 2 hour discussion/arguement, we have come to an agreement but I need help.

"no one should need to carry a gun, that is just paranoid." she said.

BUT, I talked her into argeeing to a womans self defense class, with condtions.

She had back surgery years ago and has drop foot in both feet. This means she has almost no balance.

"They will try and teach me how to kick and I cant do that! I will fall down! I am not going!"

So here is what I need.

1. A woman. She will not take a class with a man. (whatever, no offense, that is what she wants)
2. someone who understands her limitations but will not call her out. (she is very self conscious)
3. Someone who will teach her to beat the daylights out of someone within her capabilities. (an on the ground fight)
4. Someone in Austin.

I am more than happy to meet with the instructor privately before hand and give her the details on her capabilities.

Any recommendations?

Thanks
AB

[mastaff611]

AB,
Pepper (OC) spray and/or TASER may be options for her too if physical defense is a concern. There are civilian courses available for both. I do not know of any female instructors in the Austin area though. Check TASER's website for the C2 TASER info. SabreRed has a good pepper spray course. If you can't find anything through them, let me know and I may be able to help more.

[JustMe]

If you are in the Austin area (per your name)--contact Julianna Crowder. ( She might even get her interested in a gun!) She is the founder of A girl & A gun and also has several other self defense training capabilities julianna@agirlandagunclub.com

[Zoti]

You are wasting your time and money. She's not going to beat anyone up in this life or the next. Definitally not on the ground.

I teach martial arts for a living. A healthy coordinated young male take a minimum of 6 months to learn anything useful. Get her a taser or a gun.

[JustMe]

You are wasting your time and money. She's not going to beat anyone up in this life or the next. Definitally not on the ground.

I teach martial arts for a living. A healthy coordinated young male take a minimum of 6 months to learn anything useful. Get her a taser or a gun.

Which is EXACTLY why she needs a female instructor!! You don't have to be a martial artist to learn basic self defense. Martial Arts can actually be a deterrent in some ways--the ideal of honor, respect etc. In self defense-you have to fight dirty!

I find it hard to believe that as a martial arts instructor that you would discourage anyone the opportunity to learn how to protect themselves to the best of their ability. And sisnce at the present time, she is a "no" on the gun, you would have her totally unprotected.

If you can get her started down the path toward the idea of self defense, the next steps will fall in line and she may learn that she does want to incorporated a gun into her own personal defense

[Charles L. Cotton]

You are wasting your time and money. She's not going to beat anyone up in this life or the next. Definitally not on the ground.

I teach martial arts for a living. A healthy coordinated young male take a minimum of 6 months to learn anything useful. Get her a taser or a gun.

Which is EXACTLY why she needs a female instructor!!

A good instructor, male or female, can teach most students, male or female. If the student can't or isn't willing to learn, then it won't matter if an instructor is a man or woman. If a woman demands a female instructor, that's one thing, but that's a matter of choice, not competency. Probably a third of my CHL students are women, a significant percentage of whom were referred to me by women who had previously attended my classes. Women make up well over half of the students in my self-defense Handgun Skills Series classes that I teach along with Jim Pierce, and that percentage grows to 2/3 for the first class in that series.

The PSC Women's Program was started several years ago by then-Membership Director Marc Gentine. It was successful and grew, then an additional female instructor joined the program and "enforced" a women-only-no-men policy (for instructors). (We on the Board foolishly tolerated this for a while.) It was pitched as a "program for women, by women, with no men allowed!" At first, the program flourished because it was a novelty, but when the new wore off and women realized they were missing out on more advanced training our male instructors could offer, the program began to die and die quickly. We changed the format to have both basic "Handgun 101" with female instructors and advanced shooting opportunities with male instructors or male/female instructor teams and women love it. Last month's program offered home defense shotgun and it was a huge hit. The PSC Women's Program remains a women-only program for participants and it will stay that way because the ladies like that format. But excluding excellent male instructors proved both unnecessary and counterproductive.

I'm familiar with the A Girl and A Gun organization as one of our women instructors in the PSC Women's Program is a facilitator for the Houston area. That's a great concept for getting women to combine socializing with guns and shooting and in that setting, I think it makes sense to have the organization and its activities run only by women. I don't know to what extent A Girl and A Gun offers training, but I hope it doesn't make the mistake of promoting the myth that only women and teach women.

I find it hard to believe that as a martial arts instructor that you would discourage anyone the opportunity to learn how to protect themselves to the best of their ability. And sisnce at the present time, she is a "no" on the gun, you would have her totally unprotected.

Personally, I found his candor refreshing. I also agree with his comment about the minimum six months training to learn anything useful, even if you are a young healthy male. Many, perhaps most, martial arts instructors claim than can teach a wheelchair-bound person to fight and that's garbage.

He's absolutely right, the woman described has no chance of being able to defend herself in a fight if she is unarmed. Offering false hope or placebo "self-defense" training isn't doing her a service, unless one were to believe that blissful ignorance is a legitimate goal. If she refuses to carry a defensive weapon, then she needs to understand that she has made the conscious decision to place her life in the hands of anyone and everyone who see her as a potential victim.

I'm 5" 9", 175 lbs., I'm in good health and I know how to fight. However, I'm also 62 years old and I can't do what I could do to at 30. It would be foolish of me to think that I could go toe to toe with a younger or larger man, or multiple attackers, unarmed. Taking all the so-called "self-defense" classes in the world isn't going to change the reality of my physical abilities. The lady in question needs to be as realistic about her situation as am I.

Chas.

[WildBill]

The PSC Women's Program was started several years ago by then-Membership Director Marc Gentine. It was successful and grew, then an additional female instructor joined the program and "enforced" a women-only-no-men policy (for instructors). (We on the Board foolishly tolerated this for a while.) It was pitched as a "program for women, by women, with no men allowed!" At first, the program flourished because it was a novelty ... Chas.

Interesting perspective Charles. I suppose the original premise was to offer a "safe" place for inexperienced woman to learn about shooting without peer pressure from their spouses or other males. Thanks for the post.

[AustinBoy]

Lots of good thoughts and that is why I am so frustrated! (sorry again Longtooth)

Zoti - That is almost word for word what she said except it was followed by "so why should I even try".

She will not carry OC. I dont know why. We have both the purse size and the 2 oz. (Fox Labs) and she wont even put it in her purse.

It seems she is getting the attitude more and more that nothing will ever happen to her.

She even took my CHL class with me! (but refused to follow through and get her actual CHL)

I think I have a long, slow road ahead of me.

UGh.

AB

[WildBill]

It seems she is getting the attitude more and more that nothing will ever happen to her. I think I have a long, slow road ahead of me. AB

I am the last person you should listen to for advice for a wife. If she won't even consider carrying OC, it sounds like something else is going on. Maybe you need to back off for a while. Best to you.

[AustinBoy]

Wildbill - My thoughts exactly.

Problem - She travels by herself for work. To both San Francisco and New York City.

She leaves on Wednesday for almost 2 weeks. 4 days in SF and then a week in NYC, by herself.

Just scares the heck out of me.

AB

[smoothoperator]

It might be easier to change how you feel than change her.

[AustinBoy]

Working on that.

[ddurkof]

She travels to two of the most antigun/anti self defense cities in the United States. Nothing has happened to her so far, so......... she has become a "sheep." She has a physical impairment that restricts her ability to physically egress from violence.......... she is a wounded sheep, the ones the predators look for.

Her only defense is situational awareness and avoidance. But as long as she is convinced that self defense = to paranoia, and she is an educated, liberal person, who thinks that only bad things happen to those who look for trouble I don't believe you will have a chance to convince her otherwise.

I wish I could introduce her to Suzanne Knuth, but alas Suzanne is no longer with us. I never met Suzanne Knuth, other than I was there when she was being rescued from her shallow grave the Chester Lee Wicker had placed her in and raped her, then burying her alive.

A few days before this grizzly event Susanne and her husband's vehicle had broken down on he side of the road. Being a gentleman the husband ran a head to get another vehicle. During this short time Susanne was violently abducted by Chester, taken to a remote area of the Boliver peninsule, where she was murdered.

Susanne didn't do anything wrong other then to walk along side the roadway as a sheep. This was before the days of concealed carry. Her suspicion of paranoia was low, but the wolf was still prowling looking for the innocent sheep.

Good luck.

[JustMe]

Just a thought--maybe she would consider taking a" Refuse to Be a Victim" class. Maybe if you took it with her. That class is all about awareness. It is a non-firearms course developed by the NRA. It details things that can be done at home, in your car, when traveling-planes, hotels, taxis, etc.

Just a clarification--I never intended to imply that only women can teach women. You had requested a female instructor. sounds crazy but I have never had a female instructor!

[solaritx]

Find the closest place that teaches...... krav maga

Will fit the bill. Specifically designed for men and women by the country that knows about defending itself

Garry N