Thread: Equitable?
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Old 03-30-2005, 07:49 AM   #303
giriasis
Dojo: Sand Drift Aikikai, Cocoa Florida
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 823
United_States
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Re: Equitable?

Quote:
Meggy Gurova wrote:
Cool! It's exactly the same in our dojo! And I've noticed that the few woman that train are more interested in aikido then most of the men. In our dojo women come and try aikido and if they don't like it they leave after their 6 kyu and if they make it to 4 kyu they usually stay for a long time. And it feels like the men in our dojo are there for other reasons like "I'm expected as a male to do martial arts, but actually I'm more interested in playing piano (or whatever)".
I don't necessary think men practice a martial art because they are expected to, but more men walk into a dojo because it is more socially acceptable for them to practice a martial art. They come into the dojo in higher numbers and leave in higher numbers, too.

I think most people join aikido for different reasons and those reasons can not be nailed down to one gender. We can stereotype and say women join to practice the spiritual elements and men join to learn the physicial elements. However, we would do both genders injustice if we stereotyped things that way. In my dojo we have several men who joined with 10+ years of another martial art and choose aikido because it is softer than what they were practicing. Others joined because they though Steven Segal was cool, others DID join for the spiritual elements. Most people -- male and female -- write on our dojo registration sheets that they are joining for mental, physical, and spiritual reasons.

But the hard truth is that martial arts in general is not always appealing to women because women tend to sterotype as well. And the stereotypes come from our cultural upbringings. I was fortunate at a young to have my mother sign me up for Tae Kwon Do instead of gymnastics. Since that time I never really questioned that martial arts were not for me, but sometimes my non-aikido friends just say "martial arts don't appeal to me." Why doesn't it? Because it sounds like they could get hurt, bruised, etc. It's just too rough.

I don't think men feel compelled to take a martial art, unless there culture compels them, too. However practicing a martial art, for a man, seems to reinforce his masculinity -- may be that's the appeal for a guy. I think men tend to practice more sports than women, but that factor is changing. More women are invovled in sports and more are even invovled in sports like boxing. I went to school in the 80's and most girls didn't like sports or were that interested in them with the exclusion of perhaps basketball or volleyball. In my senior year of high school it was a really hugh deal to get a ladies soccer team. I think our culture, right now, is beginning to compel women into more athletic fields (Golf, Boxing instead of just Gymnastics, Figure Skating ["female sports']) eventually I feel it will carry over into martial arts.

I like to feel feminine and pretty and lady like, but that won't keep me away from aikido and it won't stop me from moving from my center and learning to make my aikido strong yet graceful at the same time.

Last edited by giriasis : 03-30-2005 at 08:00 AM.

Anne Marie Giri
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