Anti-rape curriculum

[Evilution]

Recently I've been working on developing a self defense program for women. I have a female friend who'd like to be able to take care of herself if worse comes to worse, but she doesn't have the time or the desire to become a real fighter. So I've been trying to think of a curriculum that can be learned and applied quickly and easily. I'd like to know what you guys think and if you can point out anything I didn't think of.

First thing is to stress the value of being aware and avoiding the possibility of being attacked. Basic street smarts stuff, walking confident, being aware of your surroundings, avoid dark alleys. I won't go into this part too deep, the woman I have in mind already knows all this stuff. She also already knows all the dirty little things you can do in a fight like biting, fingerlocks, hairpulls and such(she has a big sister).

After all that stuff I'll start with the actual physical stuff. I figure I'll start out with a worst-case scenario. My reasoning for this is, I could teach her to box first, but if, before I get a chance to teach her the rest, she gets jumped from behind and thrown on the ground, she'll never get a chance to box. Whenever I teach I try to give the person something they can apply immediately, no matter what. So I figure I'll start with her on the ground with me in her gaurd. If a man is going to rape a girl he almost has to put her in this position. From there I planned on teaching;

Ground game

1. Reversals and sweeps, to get out from under the attacker and get away.

2. Strikes from the gaurd, using your legs to create distance to elbow to the head or kick.

3. Submissions from the gaurd, triangle choke and armbar.

4. Escapes and reversals from all bottom positions.

I think fighting from your back would be an essential skill for this type of training. It's not a bad progression for anyone really, except I'd teach a normal student the escapes first, and move onto the top game at some point. But for an anti-rape type of curriculum I think is a good place to start.

Clinch game

1. Basics of underhooks and neck positions. Using them to smother punches and unbalance opponent.

2. Headbutts, knees, elbows and eye gouges once the opponent is off balance.

3. Escapes from headlocks and bearhugs.

As far as standup goes, I told her already, if she's at long range she can probably run away. I told her if she can get away, DO IT! So I'm not going to do much as far as standup/longe range goes. And remember she doesn't want to take the time to become a full on fighter.

Standup game

1. How to cover, do destructions, evasions, how to not get the snot beaten out of you.

2. Finger jab (and maybe real jab) and palm strikes. This should give her a decent 1-2 combo that won't break her hands, although it might break one of her nails.

3. Shin kicks and maybe round kick. Knees also to the balls and thighs.

4. Interceptions.

Finally, work it all together in a Rapid Assualt Tactics kinda thing, teach her the straight blast and go through some scenarios. I think I could do the whole thing in a day and give her a much better chance if anything does ever happen to her.

What do you guys think? Good curriculum, bad curriculum? Is there anything I'm forgeting? I'm sure there is. Gimme your thoughts.

[paw]

Umm....No weapons? (knives, guns, pepper spray, etc...)

[Mako]

First of all, props to you for being willing to help her out. There is so much GARBAGE out there being taught as women's self-defense. I (IMHO) think you are on the right track.

Definitely lots of work from the guard, sweeps, reversals.
Submission: Cross choke, armbar, triangle, push accross and really stress the americana/kimura. (If a guy is going to rape a woman, he puts himself in her guard. He'll either keep his hands up to cover her mouth, open her blouse, or choke her... armbar or push accross. OR he'll keep his hands low (to unbutton/remove her pants/shorts) In this case, a cross choke or guillotene would be great.

The Gracies have a video called Rapesafe that I think addresses this type of guard fighting really well. Women act out the scenarios (psychologically disarming the opponent) and the working the techniques full speed. You might want to check this video out.

[Mojo]

I attended some Womens self defense courses that were sponsered by police agencies and they always said that most women are choked before being thrown to the ground. Therefor anti-choke techniques are very important to teach.

[Joe Manco]

Originally posted by Evilution
Recently I've been working on developing a self defense program for women. I have a female friend who'd like to be able to take care of herself if worse comes to worse, but she doesn't have the time or the desire to become a real fighter ... BLAH, BLAH, BLAH ... Gimme your thoughts.

Let's cut through all of the bullsh!t here, shall we?

Tell her to forget about it. The truth is, she HAS the time but not the desire. And if she doesn't have the desire to learn, she won't. Teaching her anything would be a waste of time because she isn't committed enough to internalize it.

For a woman to whip a man, she must be willing to dedicate herself to the extent she is able to reach a considerable skill level JUST TO COMPETE with a blowhard novice man and compensate for the size/strength disadvantages inherent in women.

She stated she hasn't this kind of desire, so tell her to GET REAL or forget it. These are pearls here, son.

Yours truly,

Joe

[Ronin]

Evilution:

I think you are on the right track! I am working on something very similar, but don't have enough of the skills down to really refine it (esp. BJJ). Some minor points:

Someone mentioned the Kimura. I taught that one to my ex, and she caught me with it a rather disturbing amount of time, and I knew how to defend it! She was also much, MUCH weaker than me. So that's a good one to stress.

When you teach eye-gouges, teach her to blind the bastard. Same with biting: spit out the pieces. Obviously, attitude is important. Teach her to really hurt the guy, not play with him.

Personally, the only kick I would stress with a beginner is the lead leg front-kick to the balls with your instep. Thai-kicks are great for pros, but tricky for amateurs, esp. if you miss.

Joe Manco has a good point - but I think some knowledge is better than none. Also, if she has fun with this stuff, she may decide she likes it and get hooked.

[Tony10]

I agree with Joe.

If she doesn't have the time to become a fighter, she'd better hope she doesn't have to fight.

Often times that killer instinct is what will allow women to survive, because any cop will tell you that rapists profile their victims and they are looking for those they think won't fight back.

Teaching her lots of technical stuff that, in all reality, take quite some time to learn to execute properly will be futile, if she's going to crumble when the sheet comes down.

I have been present at a couple of these type things and I'll tell you what: her two best weapons are AVOIDANCE and ESCAPE--not having a "victim's persona." When it comes to physically engaging she's now on her last line of defense and that's no place she wants to be.

The idea of a woman being told to put a man in her guard and strike from there is absurd. She's going to get killed. She should be scratching his f***ing eyes out while biting his index finger off.

I am not saying to show her nothing; however, if I were you, I'd get her to a police-sponsored or reputable organization first and have it INGRAINED about the "victim's persona." THEN learn about avoiding situations. Those two things will save her more than any triangle choke.

THEN, and only AFTER THEN, shower something well-known like the Gracie rapesafe program or some "techniques."

Rest assured, though, only animal, KILLER instinct with all the absolutely dirtiest tricks might--MIGHT get her free from a rapist. If she's not willing to muster that, well, she's kidding herself.

I would also highly recommend The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.

[Edited by Tony10 on 11-07-2000 at 04:05 PM]

[Joe Manco]

Let's cut through some more bullsh!t, shall we?

Your real motive isn't to "teach her" anything, it's to find yourself "from within her guard."

Isn't it? C'mon, be real.

If I had some bimbo ask me to teach them something, and they said in the same breath "I don't have the time to devote to it," then I would tell them not to waste MY time with their ridiculous requests. Like I am supposed to take time out of my day and waste it on a half-a$$?

Basically, she wants something for nothing.

She wants knowledge of how to handle a life-and-death, scary situation without her lifting a f*cking finger to learn it in earnest.

Is she a spoiled rich b!tch or what? Someone who never had to dig down and work her a$$ off for something ... just a Barbie-doll who thinks it would be cool if Ken taught her to "defend herself" over champaigne and dinner?

Tell this dizzy blonde to GET REAL!!!

If I were you and she was cute, I would go ahead and arrange a private and try to bone the b!tch. If that failed I'd tell her to get lost. Nothing pi$$es me off more than some nitwit who wants the world handed to them on a platter, but not if it takes some effort or dedication.

It all has to do with sincerity. I would take the time for someone truly interested. But I would just try to get a ride from the bimbo.

Yours truly,

Joe

[Ronin]

Joe M.:

While it's true that some people are not really serious about learning and want everything hand to them on a platter, others are severely time-constrained and want a "crash course" in survival training.

I think such a thing could be extremely useful in helping to prevent rapes, if it were done the proper way, by the proper instructor.

Maybe 6 weeks of intense training, bolstered by follow-up classes, and maybe full-time study. And a video/manual to help them remember what they've learned.

Hell, some women have fought back with NO training and survived. So a little bit of training can't hurt. But you're right, no amount of training will help a person who lacks the gameness to use it in crunch-time. But we don't know this about Evilution's friend, all he said was that she doesn't have a lot of time to train.

[Evilution]

Where to start? Um, the americana, is that the shoulder lock from the gaurd? I'm not too familiar with the terminology of some of the moves.

Regarding killer instinct and prevention, these are things she already has and knows. I was more interested in what techniques you guys would recommend.

Weapons! I knew I forgot something.

For those who think I'm wasting my time, I figure something's better than nothing. Plus I never said she should PUT a man in her gaurd, I said if he's going to rape her he almost has to be in her gaurd. She already knows to go for the eyes and the balls and to bite like hell. I rolled with her once and it was her entire arsenal. Believe me she can bite one hand while twisting the finger off the other.

Thanks to everyone for their responses, even Joe Manco, who I actually think is funny. If he hadn't brought up a good point it would have been a troll, but I concede that he does have a point. You're totally right that she has to put in the time for it to be effective. But as long as I'm not decreasing her odds of survival I figure what the hell. I mean we're friends anyway so it's something I'd like to do just for fun and to get some experience training women, something I haven't done before.

[Ronin]

Yeah, I mean the shoulder-lock from guard.

Sorry, I've been here over a year now, and it's starting to show.

[david a]

You will never be 100% prepared for an attack.

This is something to think about in your course outline:

My cousin, she is a police officer, she is trained in
combat, she is trained in Karate also. But nothing prepared her for what was about to happen to her.
While she was jogging near a busy street, in the daylight in the afternoon, a man jumped out from behind her,
pushed her hard, face first, into the ground, and in a rear mount, sitting up with his weight on her, began choking her.
She was almost unconscious from her face hitting the ground and his choke, but she mustered enough energy(she said she wasn't sure how) to grab her assailant in the crotch and squeezed with all her might. Fortunately for her, he let go, and she
took off running from him. She never saw his face. He never intended to show her. She was lucky he had not learned how to choke the right way(eg. rear naked choke) or she may have been going home sexually assaulted and in a body bag.
This is the reality of a sexual assault. Work from here.

[Ronin]

david is correct.

Defending surprise attacks is not taught enough (nor could it be).

Awareness is important. A little bit of paranoia is a good thing.

Starting from disadvantage positions in training is also a must, esp. for women who are often muscled into them.

[Patterson]

"Recently I've been working on developing a self defense program for women. I have a female friend who'd like to be able to take care of herself if worse comes to worse, but she doesn't have the time or the desire to become a real fighter."

There is nothing that can help her if she doesn't have the time or desire. A 4 hour seminar will not make a difference.

[Evilution]

Surprise attacks are a good point, I'll work those into the scenarios I had planned on doing.

Patterson, you've got a point. I'm begining to think I should tell her she has to put in the time for it to be effective. Otherwise it's not even worth it.

Thanks again everyone for your thoughts.