Martial arts for women: a practical guide PDF
Preview Martial arts for women: a practical guide
JOHNSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 2938 00453 2415 796.8082 L Lawler, Jennifer Martial arts for women is $19.95 4 fr* !■' Johnson County Public Library 401 South State Street Franklin, IN 46131 X GAYLORD Martial Arts for Women A Practical Guide Martial Arts for Women A Practical Guide by ¥ Jennifer Lawler Turtle Press Hartford, CT Extension Services Johnson County Public Library 700 Sawmill Road New Whiteland, IN 4G1 S4-1199 Martial Arts for Women: A Practical Guide Copyright © 1998 Jennifer Lawler. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews. For information address: Turtle Press, 401 Silas Deane Hwy., PO Box 290206, Wethersfield, CT 06129- 0206. To contact the author or order additional copies of this book: Turtle Press 401 Silas Deane Hwy. PO Box 290206 Wethersfield, CT 06129-0206 1-800-778-8785 ISBN 1-880336-16-2 First Edition Library of Congress Number 97-27231 Cataloging in Publication data y Lawler, Jennifer, 1965- Martial arts for women : a practical guide for women / by Jennifer Lawler. — 1st ed. p. cm. Includes index. y ISBN 1-880336-16-2 ^ 1. Self-defense for women. 2. Martial arts. I Title G-Vl 111A-L391998 796.8’082)-dc21 97-27231 NOTE TO READERS Consult a physician before undertaking this or any other exercise regimen. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for the use or misuse of the information contained in this book. 5 Contents Chapter 1: What are Martial Arts?.13 Sport versus Art. 17 Martial Arts Skills. 17 Benefits of Martial Arts Training.22 Martial Arts Styles..25 Chapter 2: Attitude.33 Gender Differences.36 Misconceptions.38 Balancing Martial Arts and Family Life.43 Intrinsic Motivation.45 Winning Spirit.48 Chapter 3:Practical Advice.53 Menstruation.54 Dressing for Class.56 Perseverance.62 Adjusting to Contact.64 Chapter 4: Self-Defense.73 Self-Defense and Your Life-style.76 Considering Scenarios.82 Weapons.84 Being Prepared.87 Self-Defense Techniques.93 Chapter 5: Sparring.127 Sparring Psychology. 130 Sizing Up Your Opponent. 134 Conditioning for Sparring. 141 Finding Your Sparring Style. 145 Chapter 6: Technqiues...153 Jumping Kicks. 154 Upper Body Power. 156 Flexibility. 160 Speed. 162 Agility. 167 Improving Martial Arts Techniques. 168 Chapter 7: Physical Concerns.171 Injury Prevention. 173 Warming Up. 180 Cooling Down. 182 Rehabilitation. 195 Safety Gear.200 Pregnancy.201 Physical Limitations.203 Chapter 8: Competition.209 Choosing a Tournament.213 Sparring Competition.216 Preparing for Competition.219 Chapter 9: Choosing a School.229 Choosing a martial arts style.230 Determining your martial arts goals.232 Determining the quality of teaching.234 Checking the condition of the school.235 Choosing the right size of school .236 Introduction When I first began my martial arts training, I was twenty-seven years old, out of shape, overweight, and suffering daily from the nearly crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis. Suffice it to say that I did not have a healthy relationship with my body. I saw it as an adversary—an enemy, always failing me just when I needed it most. I don’t know what prompted me to walk into the Tae Kwon Do dojang (training hall) on that June morning. I think I was disgusted with how out-of-control I felt my body had become. And I was out of control in other ways, too. I had little mental discipline and few friends; I had become a very negative, unhappy person. How could I like myself that way—and how could others like me? The dojang was located near a main street in my town and I drove by it almost every day. I suppose that’s why the place felt so familiar to me. When I walked in, I found myself in a tiny waiting room. Beyond I could see an empty training hall. Rows of windows lined the south wall; mirrors and wooden bars were attached to the north and east walls. It reminded me of the school where I had learned ballet as a child, and I suppose this was comforting. Like many people, I had always been curious about the martial arts, but they had always seemed slightly sinister to me. No one I knew participated in the martial arts. I had never thought of trying the martial arts myself, though as a child I had wanted to learn Karate. When
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