For as long as I can remember as a girl growing up, people have always made comments about attending a self-defense class. This type of pressure can be off-putting, and unwelcome, which many times pushes the idea of attending such a class out of the minds of many.
It is a scary reality, & these conversations are not easy, but it is best to face the facts as they lie. One in every six American women will fall victim to rape, or attempted rape. Women also account for 4.8 million intimate-partner related physical assaults every year, demonstrating that even those closest to us can be harmful. However, there are many benefits to attending a self-defense class that goes beyond the most obvious, proving that: yes, they are important & necessary.
Women are not weak. It is a common misconception that taking self-defense classes is like admitting a weakness, which is simply not true. These classes serve as a great way for women to learn to adequately defend themselves, in a way that is not harmful to them. By receiving proper training in a classroom, where there is no imminent threat to the woman, better, safer techniques can be learned. The point of these classes is to learn the fastest way to get away- not to engage in violence for as long as possible.
These classes can also increase a woman’s confidence. Every girl learns from a young age that it can be incredibly dangerous to walk by yourself, especially at night. This kind of training can add a small layer of confidence to a woman who finds herself in this kind of situation. Whilst it does not erase the threat or fear, it does alleviate a little of the stress as a whole. Anything that can be done to help is a step worth taking.
As you can see, there is no single reason to take a self-defense class, nor is any reason greater than another. Some women attend as a result of taking their friends/family up on their suggestion, some women are looking to prepare against assault of any kind, & some women feel they would be more confident with some kind of training under their belt.
My message to my fellow women is that defense classes can only benefit you. If you are lucky enough to never have to use the skills you learn in class in a real-world experience, you have still learned more about what you are capable of. There is no such thing as being over-prepared for a possible attack or any other type of altercation. Defense classes can help provide this preparation.