This infuriated me. It's a blog post written by a woman who confuses martial arts with women's self-defence. Self defence is a whole-life approach. As taught by me (and Aud), it's more about learning to see the world than about kicking and punching. Fastening your seat belt is self-defence. Putting on oven mitts before lifting the casserole from the oven is self-defence. Understanding why it's not smart to drink yourself stupid in a group of people who aren't your very best friends is self-defence. Going to a storefront karate shop taught by a frustrated middle-aged I-know-what's-best-for-the laydees male instructor and expecting a few crappy lessons to magically keep you safe is not self-defence. (And it's as misguided as relying on a taser or a gun or pepper spray.) Self-defence is a world view, a philosophy built upon a foundation of being smart, being aware, knowing your rights, and knowing how to mentally, emotionally and physically take care of yourself.
Self-defence, in the greater sense, also means working with other women and men to change attitudes: to change laws, to change policing, to change a culture where rape is often accompanied by a shrug that means, Well, what did you expect?
No, I'm not here to tell you how to do that. You're grown ups, go figure it out. (You could start by reading Always.) I just had to rant. I get so very tired of people who don't know what the fuck they're talking about talking so very much.
My one line answer to the know-nothing blog post above: being alive in prison is better than being dead and very probably better than being raped. So, yeah, I'd bite his dangerously simplistic penis off, then I'd stuff it in his fucking mouth and make him chew. And swallow.
