Meghan wrote a particularly good open letter about our role in the upcoming Reclaim the Night walk. Please take some time to read and think about whats shes said: In one of the many small conversations Ive had with you all about Reclaim the Night, one person asked if we would be there to promote women to take self-defense. This is a simple question with a complex answer and heres why: Some people believe promoting women to learn self-defense is a form of victim blaming. I dont agree with this opinion but theres a small possibility you could encounter someone with that opinion at Reclaim the Night. So Im going to explain some of the reasons people equate self-defense with victim blaming and where our school stands. Victim blaming are statements and questions that suggest the victim is at least partially responsible for the crime and removes some blame (or all blame) from the assailant. Youve probably all heard it before: Why did she accept a drink from a stranger? She shouldnt have been out at night alone. A common argument when equating the promotion of womens self-defense to victim-blaming is that it puts the responsibility on them (or any potential victim) to prevent violence. This isnt true for any crime. Locking your home, for example, doesnt make you responsible for a burglary. Similarly, learning how to protect yourself and your loved ones doesnt make you responsible for the actions of a mugger, rapist, or any violent person. Some people say self-defense doesnt fix the real problem; we have to focus on stopping attackers from committing assault and stop society from justifying or glorifying it in any way. I certainly agree that we have to tackle the problem of assault at its roots. However, violence will likely always exist and self-defense will always be a useful tool to keep oneself safe. In other words, self-defense may be a bandage but its a damn useful one. Furthermore, learning self-defense has a number of benefits outside safety. Women who learn self-defense report feeling safer and more confident, even happier with their body image. And many men who train with women have immense respect for their abilities and the different challenges women face. All these aspects promote equality between genders and quash victim blaming attitudes. Finally, its important to understand that many sources encourage women to restrict themselves in the name of self-defense. Universities and police departments commonly publicize safety tips like only going out in groups and never wearing restrictive clothing (for examples, check out this humorous take which uses real advice: youtube/watch?v=57KXo13Z8nI). Real self-defense isnt about avoiding a dark street; its about having the confidence and knowledge to react however you deem appropriate when confronted with violence. At KMBCC, we promote learning all possible options. In fact, we have very specific advice about high heels in violent situations: Do a stomp kick! I hope that none of us will be confronted by negative opinions about self-defense at Reclaim the Night. If someone insists on engaging you in a debate, feel free to send them to Ken or to Meghan. And most importantly, remember that no ones opinion changes our principles. We are there to show our support and represent all that our school stands for.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 10:52:37 +0000
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