Women’s Self-Defense, Miss USA and Feminists

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows,” as Rocky Balboa eloquently said in the movie Rocky 6.  Bad things happen to bad people – some people call that ‘karma’ – and sometimes (more times then we’d like to think about) bad things happen to good people.  Violent things.

My wife and I recently saw a post, whereby people across the Twittersphere belittled the new Miss USA, Nevada’s Nia Sanchez’s remarks on women’s safety.

Such remarks of :

• “Why not teach men not to rape?”
• “…Like teaching women self-defense is the answer?”
• “… she just reinforced victim-blaming rape culture to millions of viewers”
• “…self-defense.  A ridiculous idea.”

When you hear these remarks, how do you feel, and what solution would be practical and/or the most beneficial?  Now I imagine we can all take Rocky’s quote above as truth, can’t we?  And with that being understood, how might someone (anyone) protect themselves at all? Even strong, confident women get battered, harassed, sexually assaulted in this country.  Many women get involved with the wrong men, some find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time, and even some women assault/abuse men [which the media doesn’t write about as they should].

A utopian society is a fictitious one. 

When Nia Sanchez, a fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, answered the pageant’s question regarding sexual assaults on college campus, many people (apparently) where shocked.  However, I believe she knew that “Sunshine and Rainbows” (although it’s what most pageant-goes might like to hear) was an honest and practical answer to a serious problem.

What was your take on this?

ON A SIDE-NOTE

Jenny and I never try to “scare” women into taking our classes… but the truth is, you’ll likely never feel the need to prepare yourself for violence unless you are at least “a little scared.”

Is that where many of us self-defense instructors are going wrong?

I don’t believe we should have to, but men and women should, I believe, take the initiative to learn just in case the unspeakable happens.  And like we always say at our OutFoxxed Program, “If you can’t take it with us, please take it somewhere… and take it soon. You’re never too young or too old to learn.”

A VIDEO FROM KELINA COWELL / URBAN WARRIORS ACADEMY

RELATED ARTICLE:

WHY WOMEN DON’T TAKE SELF-DEFENSE BUT SHOULD

– MICHAEL JOYCE

OutFoxxed Program.  W-S, North Carolina