Often women interested in self-defense want to know what martial art is best for them. Naturally, I think the concepts of Jeet Kune Do, as taught by A Personal Defense, are the answer. I would like to explain that position, since I arrived at it in a way opposite from that which most seem to arrive at theirs.
After years of hearing people say their art was the answer, I started wondering what the question really was. I realized it was usually something more like "What approach helps me reach my goals?" Usually those goals, for men, include dominating bad guys and maybe winning in competitions. For women, the goal was usually to feel more secure.
I began my training in Jeet Kune Do because it forces you to ask the right questions. There is no set way. In other approaches, you do basically the same training whether you are athletic, asthmatic, blind, or missing arms. You start with the "art" and modify your moves to resemble the "right" way as much as possible.
JKD starts instead with you where you are. Reality is "right", and the art must provide a way to answer your needs.
Women rarely want to learn to dominate an opponent, so much as to not get hurt themselves. As a group, women need to worry about being grabbed, pinned down, or kidnapped more than men do. The solutions must start there. The individual woman in question will have unique limitations or skills. These must also be considered. Is she worried about sexual assault? That's one set of problems to solve. Is she worried about protecting her children? It's another set.
The approach I would take as an A Personal Defense coach for the woman worried about sexual assault would include training to control emotions while pinned down, escaping from the ground, and techniques that cause the attacker to worry more about protecting himself than attacking her. I would probably not even talk about punching.
The martial art that is right for women is the one that is focused on her reality above all other things. Jujitsu will provide some answers. So will Filipino martial arts, kung fu, and even more obscure methods like Savate from France. None of them have all the answers, but together, they can. That's why the approach is called A Personal Defense. It really is all about YOU - the individual.
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