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Im going to tell you what I think you need to hear. You are not supposed to take what I say and follow it. You are supposed to take what I say and _think_about_it_
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So I'm sixteen, a girl, and I'm 5'4, 105 pounds. I've accepted that I'm small. I'm not really that strong either. My legs are well defined, and have always been fine. My arms... yeah. Not so much. Pretty much pathetic. My boyfriend is convinced that if I were ever to be in a situation where I need to defend myself, that I would basicallly be helpless. Just cause I'm not strong. But that's not true! I took loooots of classes, so I know a lot of self defense teqniques. If someone were to grab me or something, I could probably get out of a hold fairly well. I'm also very good at squirming! Haha. But seriously. It's a little condescending to me that he thinks so little of my ability to protect myself. It's not that he goes around telling me how weak I am, but... he almost is! He gets worried easily. He expresses his worries about how "breakable" or "vulnurable" I am. And he's not compleeeetely far off... I was attacked about a year ago, and it freaked us both out pretty bad. Nothing too horrible, just grabbed, pulled off into a room, but someone came to help me before the guy could anything more than my shorts off. My boyfriend is very protective now. It doens't necessarily bother me, but I wish I could just show him that he doesn't need to worry so much. I took those classes because of what happened a year ago, and I feel pretty confident in what I can do. I just wish he would feel the same way. Just cause I'm small, doesn't make me helpless right?? (link)
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I'm 6'2 and played offensive line in high school. My wife is 5'1 and trained years longer in martial arts than I did at an older age.
She is utterly and completely helpless before me.
Self defense classes are...basically worthless. Almost harmful in the false sense of security they can provide for the tiny protective benefit they offer. The biggest problem is that you "know" your holds. They give you ideas which you will have to think about and implement in the middle of a situation where thinking is incredibly difficult.
At your size I could literally throw you over my shoulder and walk away with you, and there would be pretty much nothing you could do about it short of being able to hit me in a genuinely disabling way which would involve martial arts or military training.
That's a situation where you'd have a good amount of freedom of movement. Put yourself on the ground instead, where after you get out of an attackers grip you have to get out from under them and back on your feet before they can grab you again to be safe. Or in a confined area where you can't just break their grip and run like hell. Or in an isolated area where they can give chase.
It's not all that condescending. You are small compared to the average guy, you are weaker than the average guy, and you haven't been given anything like real effective hand to hand training which would allow you to disable an attacker long enough or thoroughly enough to ensure you can get away unimpeded.
You want to be 5'1 and tough, look into Aikido or Jujutsu. Learn how to break joints with a minimum of effort and force.
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Rating: 5
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Well when you put it that way... It kinda freaks me out... Haha. But thanks for the... Reality check? Haha I'll look into that
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