Question re: females and respect at the dojo

[still learning]

Hello, In our schools anyone can train, there are no limitations. Some kids have learning problems, with the parents permissions we share it with other kids in the classes, so they are aware of it.

We always talk about how we can learn and help each other. It shows too among the students, helping each other.

The ladies and men are all there to learn! There is alot of respect among all the students and teachers here.

It starts with the Leaders of the schools to control any disrespect of any students/sexes.

Part of the training is letting students help each other when they do not understand the techniques or kata's, teamwork.

Men, women, children, are there to learn...we make adjustment for age, and learning abilities....

If you are having problems..document them, record and write everything down,get witnesses,a good attorney, or leave for another school, or do both.

 

[Marginal]

It has been said before (by both men and women) that sometimes women have to "prove" themselves a little more at the dojo to gain respect from their instructors and other students. Guys who are new at the school are already seen as serious trainers but women tend to have show everyone that they are just as serious.

I've never questioned someone's seriousness because of their gender. That's a point that's entirely up to the individual. I do wonder at someone who's afraid to spar, complains about bruises, freaks out when you're trying to drill a technique etc. That's been a fairly equal mix.

 

[Fletcher]

I go to a traditional karate dojo and the gender ratio is about 50-50 in the adult classes. Generally if a new student or someone from another dojo comes to a class and they have a poor attitude about women in MA they are quickly shown how wrong they are by the women in our class. Incidently the person I am most afraid of is a woman that is about 5'3" and 120 lbs. with a terrifying back kick. She is also one of my favorite people to work with because she is so good.

 

[Phoenix44]

Sorry to say, I ABSOLUTELY DID have to prove that I was as good as, or better than, the men. It took me a long time to gain the acceptance that guys were afforded automatically.

I'll never forget my brown belt test. I passed, as did my male training partner. I was then escorted to my car, and I drove home. I found out about a week later that my partner was invited to join the instructors for a post-test congratulatory beer that evening. Not me.

Our dojo has an advanced class for brown and black belts. While it is generally open to all adults of appropriate rank, it's also tacitly "by invitation." My brown belt partner was "invited" automatically, I was not. I never said a word until I noticed that a purple belt man was training with them, too. So I finally asked sensei (we had a close enough relationship for me to do this) if I could attend this class. He said sure, "but it's really rough." And you know, it is a rough class, but I was certainly up to the challenge.

That was years ago. I was the first female ever to earn a black belt at that dojo. My male brown belt partner, who was so easily accepted, never made it to black belt. He was asked to leave the dojo because of an attitude problem. I'm now an instructor, there is a second woman black belt, and several female junior black belts as well. It's not a big issue anymore, but I was certainly a "pioneer."

 

[Hand Sword]

Outstanding! Well done Phoenix44! Pass it on!

 

[Hand Sword]

I always used to argue for the females at my dojo. I always considered self defense important, and They used to get it watered down a bit for the reasons of "go easy, it's a girl". I always felt they should've learned it correctly, they are the ones that truly need it, when it goes down.

 

[songe-d-automne]

Oh heck, we get treated just like another guy. We might whine about it but we get pounded on by the giant 6 foot man just like everyone else and IMO that is the way it should be.

 

[still learning]

Oh heck, we get treated just like another guy. We might whine about it but we get pounded on by the giant 6 foot man just like everyone else and IMO that is the way it should be.

Hello, Good point here...women/men complain because we are treated differently...yet women/men complain when treated the same?

Good thing get two kinds of bathrooms....one for those who complain and for those who don't.

Now for us smaller guys vs 6 footers....there pants are bigger...they should ware the same size...to be equal? ....not trying to complain here...Aloha