Thread: gender balance
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Old 10-07-2003, 07:58 AM   #1
Paula Lydon
Dojo: Aikido Shugenkai
Location: Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 427
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Unhappy gender balance

~~An observation: My dojo seems to be at about one female student for every six (or so) male students. Also, since I've been there--7 years--there seem fewer upper dan female sempei who either train regularily or are in any sort of teaching/leadership role. Being me, of course, I have begun wondering...

1) We like to say that gender doesn't matter on the mat, but I appreciate having more advanced female students to observe, question, etc. as well as male. These 'older sisters' have understandings that relate directly to being female and training that males will not.

2) Why don't more females stay, either at lower or upper levels? Is there something in the dojo atmosphere that subliminally discourages females? Is there something in the training itself?

3) Is is all just part of social conditioning and to be expected? Yet, I've seen dojo with many women up to the majority, in every position availiable.

4) I do get a sense quite often that to be a young male is best, a young female is 2nd best, to be either but with lots of rank is 3rd best.

Any thoughts? Yours in

~~Paula~~
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