Womens Defence

Some of the worst acts of violence and rape committed against women are committed by men who said they loved them devoutly.

Women are generally, physically and mentally brutalized, and often can't leave out of fear of losing their children, for economic concerns or for the safety of their children or themselves.

The Department of Justice which keeps statistics on crimes committed in the United Kingdom, has said that reports of domestic violence have actually gone down. This is little comfort for the 475,900 reported female victims of domestic violence, which includes victims of crimes ranging from rape to aggravated assault by someone they shared a relationship with.

When it comes to the lives of you and your children, sometimes the only thing that remains to do is to fight.

Victims of domestic violence can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, education, employment or marital status. Both men and women can be victims, but The Department of Justice says women are victims in 77% of the family violence cases with the vast majority of the violence being committed by their spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend.

Those who have done the research say that the statistics are misleading, and that the actual numbers are much higher. One thing all sides can agree on is that a woman is more likely to be beaten and raped by someone she knows than by a stranger.

Domestic violence is a complex issue, but in a fight it is either hit or get hit back. Removing yourself from danger is always the best option, but that isn't always available. Even if the legal system does get involved, the abuser often gets bail no matter how brutal the crime.

Weapons can't be relied on for protection, and if you can contact the police, it takes time for them to respond.

In close combat fighting your body is the weapon. It is you alone, against an angry and abusive attacker. This is not about revenge or being as bad as they are; it is about the survival of you and your children.

Every month in the United Kingdom, at least four women die as a result of domestic violence. Every year women report 572,000 assaults committed by men closest to them with 170,000 of those assaults resulting in trips to the emergency room. Over half the reported rapes in the United Kingdom are committed by someone the woman knew prior to the attack, and over 1.2 million women are forcibly raped by former lovers. The statistics make one thing clear; you have to fight.

I catch a lot of flack from the so-called teachers in the martial arts industry for giving my no bull-s..t close-combat learning program away to all of my students.

Most of the time I could'nt care less what they think or say, but every once in a while some clown on one of the zillion internet discussion boards mistakes my kindness for weakness (or even worse; non-effectiveness), and I think about pulling the "plug" and just teaching self defence for private students, but then I realise that it's the every-day people who walk throught he doors of my classes and seminars who benefit and I continue on my chosen path. 

Then I read these statistics. Then I watch the news. Then I pick up the paper. Then I again realize that I'm doing the right thing by letting everyone have this information.

But if I can teach just one person how NOT to be a victim...then it's all worth it.

Sifu James Watson