OP
OP
Lisa lyons
Orange Belt
oh no i do like a big strong man
i have no intentions of hitting them. unless they get too close!
a weak woman
- Thread starter Lisa lyons
- Start date
i have no intentions of hitting them. unless they get too close!
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
I recommend you do not try to figure any of this out in the mirror, or via video. Stick to basic cardio via the stationary bike, walking, etc. as approved by your doctor. Wait until you are able to meet with a good instructor before you begin the martial training.
You have lung disease and describe yourself as very weak, which I read as frail. Don’t start hitting things without guidance, because you can hurt yourself. Trying to figure out the mechanics of a good punch in the mirror will ingrain bad habits that will likely lead to injury if you ever actually land the punch, either on a training bag or a person.
Trying to figure out some throws via video is a bad idea, especially given your description of your physical condition. Again, a good way to get injured and develop bad habits.
You have lung disease and describe yourself as very weak, which I read as frail. Don’t start hitting things without guidance, because you can hurt yourself. Trying to figure out the mechanics of a good punch in the mirror will ingrain bad habits that will likely lead to injury if you ever actually land the punch, either on a training bag or a person.
Trying to figure out some throws via video is a bad idea, especially given your description of your physical condition. Again, a good way to get injured and develop bad habits.
Tai Mantis Warrior
Yellow Belt
This was true in the past, but not any more.
In a post covid epidemic world, personal instruction may not always be possible. And the OP needs to start learning self defence ASAP, not in 12 years when the world possibly becomes normal again.
Videotape instruction may not be the best possible mode of teaching but it may be the only way available to most people for a very long time.
It’s time for everyone to learn and adapt.. Lisa just make sure you always take it easy nobody knows your own body as well as you do - and as I previously stated those judo throws are only meant for visual review, not for you to perform unsupervised.
Let us know how the stretching and jkd is working out for you
isshinryuronin
Senior Master
You are a trained martial artist. You are facing an opponent with his guard up. You notice a quick sip of breath and a flairing of the nostrils. There's a slight weight transfer and shoulder movement. The hips initiate rotation. You smack him.
Three eye witnesses all agree: "This one guy was standing there, hands up for protection, faced off with this other guy who just went off and coldcocked him for no reason."
You get arrested for assault.
I'm not getting into the legal issues, here. The point is about threat perception. You knew that other guy was launching an attack with an ETA of one second. To your eye, the attack was in progress and you merely countered.
If you had waited another second, all the witnesses would agree the other guy started it and a clear case of self-defense in your favor. Maybe a legal victory for you, but a good chance of physical risk, too.
If you had a run in before with this guy who threatened to kill you the next time you met, and seeing him bear down on you with intent in his eyes, you strike him before he sets his guard. Probably another trip to jail.
The problem is that perception of threat is a continuum. One level gradually morphing into another. A trained and experienced eye will notice a threat earlier than others. Someone physically strong and combat trained may not care about that threat as seriously as another more vulnerable person.
Five people may see a threat five different ways. Everyone's training and experience and physical abilities are different. Each will interpret that threat at different points on the continuum, even though in their minds, they are all at the same point - The point where action is called for. Hard for outsiders to judge after the fact.
Conclusion? Do what you see as proper and deal with the consequences?
Three eye witnesses all agree: "This one guy was standing there, hands up for protection, faced off with this other guy who just went off and coldcocked him for no reason."
You get arrested for assault.
I'm not getting into the legal issues, here. The point is about threat perception. You knew that other guy was launching an attack with an ETA of one second. To your eye, the attack was in progress and you merely countered.
If you had waited another second, all the witnesses would agree the other guy started it and a clear case of self-defense in your favor. Maybe a legal victory for you, but a good chance of physical risk, too.
If you had a run in before with this guy who threatened to kill you the next time you met, and seeing him bear down on you with intent in his eyes, you strike him before he sets his guard. Probably another trip to jail.
The problem is that perception of threat is a continuum. One level gradually morphing into another. A trained and experienced eye will notice a threat earlier than others. Someone physically strong and combat trained may not care about that threat as seriously as another more vulnerable person.
Five people may see a threat five different ways. Everyone's training and experience and physical abilities are different. Each will interpret that threat at different points on the continuum, even though in their minds, they are all at the same point - The point where action is called for. Hard for outsiders to judge after the fact.
Conclusion? Do what you see as proper and deal with the consequences?
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
I disagree. She can correct me if I have misunderstood, but I believe exercise is her main interest. She can get that without martial arts, until martial arts are a safe option once again.
In the meantime, her physical condition would be a greater than typical liability of leading to injury, especially if trying to go it alone.
Video is not a good option, definitely not for complete beginners, most definitely not for complete beginners in her physical condition. It can be a good supplemental tool for those receiving direct instruction, and during Covid it can be an option for those who are already experienced. But even then, it is definitely sub-optimal. Sometimes “something is better than nothing” is a falsehood, when that something is likely to lead to injury as well as bad habits, and simple frustration that will probably end in quitting altogether.
For the OP, I highly advise against it.
Tai Mantis Warrior
Yellow Belt
Stop being such a worry wart. There’s nothing wrong with some simple stretching exercises and basic punching which can be easily corrected by one of the OP’s guy friends - such as the one who recommended the Jkd school to her. Stop making huge obstacles out of even the most minor details.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the OP reviewing videos demonstrating very basic techniques by prominent experts - if for no other reason she can at least understand which arts contain which kind of techniques so she gains more knowledge of what there is to pick from.
And I could not possibly disagree with you more - there is absolutely NO good reason for Lisa to wait possibly 10 years or more for the world to get normal again to do things like simple stretching and basic punches that can easily be corrected by the men around her. And the OP has just as much chance (if not moreso) of being injured at a training gym with others as she does performing simple stretches and punches on her own at home.
Her main interests are both exercise and self defence, otherwise she wouldn’t be asking so many questions about self defence and posting videos about self defence tactics and techniques.
Lisa definitely see a doctor first if you feel like stretching and throwing basic punches can lead to a possible medical emergency for you.
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Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
She came here looking for advice. I am giving her honest advice, which I stand by. She can decide if she wants to heed the advice.
And of course she can view any video she wants, to get an idea of what different methods include. Educating herself is a good idea. But I stand by my advice that she should not try to use videos to figure this out herself.
OP
OP
Lisa lyons
Orange Belt
thank you everyone please do not argue 
More than a little sexist to just assume any random male in the vicinity will know how to fight and should teach her. I bet you've NEVER been accused of mansplaining...
Tai Mantis Warrior
Yellow Belt
Well she won’t know unless she asks won’t she genius
jobo
Grandmaster
well in a POST covid world, things should be back to normal, the question is, when will this be¹
id be reluctant to tell someone to learn from videos, this was a bad idea before, the present situation hasnt made it better, just left it as the only option in some cases, particularly if its videos like the groin grab one
my advice to anyone who identifies as " weak" would be to spend much of their inial efforts trying to stop being " weak" which ever aspect of their fitness they are refering to.
as there is no doubt that a reasonable level of fitness makes any number of self defence techniques more viable
D
Deleted member 39746
Guest
The usage of force always brings with it legal troubles, so long as you meet the crtieria for reasoonable force there is nothing agaisnt striking first on the threat. And hell politically speaking some people have been done on trumped up charges over legitimate self defence anyway, not a reason to not do it. (as the alternative can be worse than the legal loop holes, thats one of the assements you have to make when doing it)
The betetr example would be if some stranger accosts you fing and blinding and you punch them in the face and run off because some stranger just approached you aggresively and thats a legitimate cause for alarm and threat. the middle ground would be a fence to have some obejctive evidence of a defensive posture.
Oh the only legal advise i recall for that is, if you are the only two witnesses dont confess to the event happening, then for all purposes it didnt happen. Thats why you dont speak to polcie without a legal counsel so you dont talk your way into a charge. If you tell the police anything, its then two persons word (one of which is deemed more trustworthy (the police constables)) against you.
@Lisa lyons
Also, i will stand by buying and reading Dead or Alive by Geoff Thompson its a good book and plenty of people stand by it, and its not a gimmicky technique book. (but does cover it a little) So its a general purpose book largely focused on awarness and prevention and covers some basic techniques and methods you should do. Its not that expensive either its £12 on paperback for amazon £8 for kindle. I think Rory Miller and Peter Consterdine are go tos as well. (obviously choose books accordingly to what you want to learn) Books are fine to learn off the theory and principles for self defence, like the colour code, awarness tactics and some "drills" you can do to increase your awarness, how criminals work so fourth.
Just on the Male point, Male and Female social violence is diffrent. Males and Females fight diffrently and have a diffrent culture for fighting each other. For example, i dont see many videos of two Males hair clinching each other and hitting the **** out of each other, you do see plenty of females fight like that. The expetion for feamles would be the norm for two males fighting. (that being something like a tradtional kickboxing style with grappling and no default rules) That and its still the norm for some places to be taught and think hitting Females as a Male is taboo and the usual athelticism disparity brings its own problems. Not to mean they cant give advise, but there is a little truth to living something makes you understand it better, you can academically known everything about this culture but until you live it do you really know it? LIke just because they are a Female doesnt mean they know anything about being a Female. (i really dont want to word this like i support the notion a Gynacologist for example has to be female, because i really dont, so im going to end the tangent here before i word it even worse)
Addendum: There are various diffrent cultrual norms for fighting and sub cultrual norms, i was jsut focusing on the main diffrences i have seen between Male and Female.
I'm also a woman. If a guy pushes you, and you punch him, there's a reasonable chance that he'll punch back. And he's likely to be bigger and stronger than you. Especially if you're weak and have a lung disorder.
Personally, if you want to try martial arts, I'd recommend a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school that has a beginner's class that's mostly focused on drilling rather than rolling. Especially if they have a women's self-defense program. There's a BJJ program I really like called Women Empowered, which is available in some BJJ schools and also available as pre-recorded videos online that you can practice at home, if you have a partner you could work with.
Really? Could that sentence be much more sexist?
As another woman I agree wholeheartedly with this.
There's been some rubbish posted on here, sexist, dangerous and just plain wrong @ Tai Mantis Warrior. I hope you never attempt to teach women's self defence. As I said too much is taught from a male perspective without understanding what is behind male attacks on females, or other types of attacks on either sex on either sex for that matter!
OP
OP
Lisa lyons
Orange Belt
ooh, i like the sound of this
there is a BJJ school about 15 miles away. I do not know what type of BJJ it is as i know there are variationsooh, i like the sound of this
Variations but the basics should be essentially the same. Would definitely be my recommendation.
OP
OP
Lisa lyons
Orange Belt
which is the best school of BJJ? in your opinion
What's the best car? Depends entirely on your values. Danaher is regarded as head of one of the better competitive groups, if that's your interest. I understand some of the Gracie groups maintain more of the old Gracie self defense stuff... one of the upsides of BJJ historically is well maintained standards; they're all good.
If it's a good school, IMO it's difficult to go wrong with BJJ. Even if it's highly competition-oriented, the basic principles translate readily to self-defense. And if the idea appeals to you, then it's probably a good fit - something that's more important than many folks realize. The more appealing the approach (to you), the harder it'll be for you to find excuses not to go.ooh, i like the sound of this
