Women in India Turn to Martial Arts to Protect Themselves

My good friend Katie (who moonlights as the Mysterious K) sent me a link to an outstanding article on AlterNet about women in India training in the martial arts in order to learn how to defend themselves.  According to the article, only 2 percent of Indian women who are the victims of rape report the crime because they might be ostracized and their chances at marriage would dramatically decrease.  And the problems are only becoming worse as more women enter into the workplace.  In light of this, some women are turning to martial arts training in an attempt to learn how to defend themselves, rather than relying on a legal and security system that is ill-equipped for the new realities in that country-- Forget Pepper Spray:  Indian Women Use Martial Arts to Protect Themselves:

This cruel reality has spurred Indian women on: after all these years of subjection to social hierarchy, some women are finally stoking the fire within them and taking up self-defense training. Martial arts schools now teach women various techniques and strategies to combat sexual harassment. Yet while this personal decision to defend oneself would be considered an individual choice in many parts of the world, for Indian women it did not come easily.

Tired of facing regular harassment, Mrs. Swati Jhanwar decided to begin training in martial arts. Now a 2nd Degree Dan black belt in Karate and an instructor at a renowned Karate Do training center in Kolkata, she initially had a tough time convincing family members.

“When I decided to join Karate classes six years back, I found it difficult to convince my family about my purpose. They were skeptical and believed that martial arts were not for girls as it makes them lose their femininity. They’d rather lock girls indoors than allow them to learn how to tackle harassment in public places. It took lots of persuading for them to agree.”

This is the reason why I train at Sun Dragon Martial Arts and support its mission to teach a wide range of self defense skills to women and girls, promote the message that defending yourself is every person's right and encourage women and girls to be assertive and confident.  Though our laws and law enforcement are more progressive in this country than in India, the same lessons that are important there are important here as well. 

A little more from the article:

“It’s not the physique that matters, but the confidence that makes all the difference,” says Shihan Premjit Sen, President of Karate Do Association of Bengal and Indian Sports Kick Boxing Association. He has been working over a decade through his training center in Kolkata to ensure that women empower themselves - not only to fight Eve Teasing and molestation, but to also regain her self-respect and confidence. He says, “Even a petite woman can overhaul a strong oppressor if the right technique is applied. The actual strength lies in the head. Psychology plays a very important part in a decisive situation and with simple techniques like punching in the nose or poking the eyes, a woman can release herself from her oppressor.”