Women in Martial Arts, women in Shorinji Kempo...

[Tripitaka of AA]

Occasionally the subject comes up... why are ther so few women studying Shorinji Kempo?

I don't have a load of statistics to back me up but I'll venture a few thoughts on the topic, feel free to disagree.

I think there is probably a higher ratio of women in Shorinji Kempo than there are in many other martial arts.
I suspect that there is a higher ratio of women attracted to Shorinji Kempo, due to the nature of the training. We don't go in for full-contact sparring (well, not very often, anyway). We don't tend to roll around on the floor tying each other up or forcing faces into the mat (well, not much, anyway).
I suspet that women generally have a harder time apportioning time to studying a martial art, when other aspects of daily life have to be given priority. Men seem to have less qualms about wasting their lives away on pointless fantasies about achieving perfection of motion or developing themselves through rigorous training. Women are less keen on having to explain bruises to work colleagues.

I feel sad that society makes it more difficult for women to enjoy the pleasures of Shorinji Kempo training. Is there anything that should be done to encourage, promote, accomodate and maintain a higher proportion of women in martial arts and Shorinji Kempo in particular? Your thoughts welcome (non-kenshi are also welcome).

[Defined]

Hello,
Statistically, you might want to check it out, I don't believe any one has ever got the figured (that I have seen anyway). Especially compare proportion of women to men in other martial arts.
I am admittedly a bit of a feminist so some workplace issues I could go on about general accepted unfairness and what is expected of women compared to men. I think this is one of the reasons. So for a start you can get rid of these that find it socially acceptable for women to only do certain things, whereas men generally have a more comfortable range.

As for women (and to a certain extent men as well) you may not get as may interested just for the fact that Shorinhi Kempo is a lot less known. A quick search found none in my city. Normally when people think of a martial arts, they tend to (and I used to) automatically think of something like Karate or Kung Fu.

For example, last night at work someone was trying to get me to come to her boxercise class, so I starting jumping around mock acting like a boxer (trust me to do something like this). And she says "no, that's not it, your hands are in the wrong place". So I moved them to the normal place we have them for ju jutsu (open hands around face) to which she immediatly replied "stop that Kung Fu crap, they have to be fists!"

[Luar]

Occasionally the subject comes up... why are ther so few women studying Shorinji Kempo?

I don't have a load of statistics to back me up but I'll venture a few thoughts on the topic, feel free to disagree.

I think there is probably a higher ratio of women in Shorinji Kempo than there are in many other martial arts.
I suspect that there is a higher ratio of women attracted to Shorinji Kempo, due to the nature of the training. We don't go in for full-contact sparring (well, not very often, anyway). We don't tend to roll around on the floor tying each other up or forcing faces into the mat (well, not much, anyway).
I suspet that women generally have a harder time apportioning time to studying a martial art, when other aspects of daily life have to be given priority. Men seem to have less qualms about wasting their lives away on pointless fantasies about achieving perfection of motion or developing themselves through rigorous training. Women are less keen on having to explain bruises to work colleagues.

I feel sad that society makes it more difficult for women to enjoy the pleasures of Shorinji Kempo training. Is there anything that should be done to encourage, promote, accomodate and maintain a higher proportion of women in martial arts and Shorinji Kempo in particular? Your thoughts welcome (non-kenshi are also welcome).

I am not sure I totally agree with you on the reasons why. I do feel that we are competing with many other popular physical activities such as pilates, yoga and dance that its hard to convince any person today about the benefits of doing a martial art. I don't think self-defense is a major issue in today's mobile society. If you live in a questionable area, then move and if you can't afford to do so you probably can't afford to take classes. As far as the spiritual aspects are concern, I believe yoga itself is far more well-rounded than Shorinji Kempo. Let's face it, the martial arts is a major commitment and is all about heriarchy, protocol and rank. Yoga isn't that complicated.

I suggest you ask women like Danielle here and ask her why she's dedicated to Ju Jitsu because I am certain those are the types of things we need to tap into first.

[Tripitaka of AA]

Quite so Raul, I had been thinking of that since I posted this under-researched ramble last night. I would be very pleased to have some input from female martial arts enthusiasts from any discipline, but yes, I ought to be canvassing the opinions of those "candidates" who have gone for the other alternatives.

Good point about the "unfamiliar" name of Shorinji Kempo. I guess if I were shopping around for something unusual, it would be reassuring to see a familiar brand. :) ... which takes us back to the problem of finding the right way to raise awareness of "our brand" (a thorny issue with many people who find the whole issue of corporate branding to be an unwelcome injection of commerce into their idea of a pure transmission of knowledge and... enlightenment :) ).

[Luar]

My point had nothing to do with unfamiliarity of the "Shorinji Kempo" brand name but rather the hard-sell of any martial art to the general public. The martial arts is a niche market and is in itself a highly complicated product to sell to today's fast-pace-result-oriented-status-seeking consumer. The Shorinji Kempo way is not about instant gratification and it is certainly not a McDojo. Thus I am advocating that if the goal is to increase the membership of women then I lets start by looking at the talented women we have now and working with that.

[Defined]

I don't think self-defense is a major issue in today's mobile society.

Maybe, maybe not. For women who start martial arts I would be willing to believe that self-defence is a major motivator. You don't have to be poor to live in a questionable area. You don't have to live in a questionable area to be attacked.

With TV and everything put together sending the message of people (especially women) being attacked and targeted for attack it would motivate people to learn how to defend themselves.

[Luar]

Maybe, maybe not. For women who start martial arts I would be willing to believe that self-defence is a major motivator. You don't have to be poor to live in a questionable area. You don't have to live in a questionable area to be attacked.

With TV and everything put together sending the message of people (especially women) being attacked and targeted for attack it would motivate people to learn how to defend themselves.

I will agree that I stretched that comment just a tad but as the webmaster who answers all of the emails, I don't see or hear that self-defense as being any reason for a woman wanting to join us. Now I live in New York City which means theoreticaly one is always within a short walk from a questionable area. To be fair I never hear that from men but I suppose one can attribute that to ego.

[Luar]

As in E-Budo I thought I point out this facinating martial artist (http://www.pureenergymartialarts.com/index.html). This is the type of person you really don't hear anything about and are amaze that they even exist.

[Defined]

Another one here.
http://www.laurenburns.com.au/
I actually remember watching a few of her fights during the Olympics (although when I look back now they could quite possibly have been repeats since she won). That was when I suddenly though martial arts was pretty cool.
Sadly though, that's the limit of my repertoir of female martial artists.

[Defined]

As an added note, maybe start a simple poll in the women's martial arts forum asking people why they started?

[Luar]

As an added note, maybe start a simple poll in the women's martial arts forum asking people why they started?

Actually I don't need a poll as all one has to do is read some of the postings there. Interesting stuff does go on there.

[dao]

Actually if you do a search I think you will find that there has been a thread about why women start MA in the Women's Forum already. But that may be long enough ago that it has been filed.

:nothingtogive:

[Eliz]

Actually I don't need a poll as all one has to do is read some of the postings there. Interesting stuff does go on there.

:D

Actually, a poll [in the women's section] would be a good idea. Debra is right, there used to be one but I think it has expired.

Back tracking to the Original Post. Women have a tendency to set their schedules around their families (or friends). You are right. I was lucky as MA's predated husband and kids. That schedule was already set. Outside of MA's, you all would be amazed at the things I have gotten active in solely because my kids were interested.

[Luar]

Back tracking to the Original Post. Women have a tendency to set their schedules around their families (or friends). You are right. I was lucky as MA's predated husband and kids. That schedule was already set. Outside of MA's, you all would be amazed at the things I have gotten active in solely because my kids were interested.

Shorinji Kempo is a non-profit organization. All of the Sensei's and Branch Masters are certified volunteers and thus training schedules are centered around their availability. Even though there are around 1.5 million practitioners world-wide, there is something like 30 official branches in the US as well various smaller clubs (non official branches). Thus this could be a problem - a lack of flexibility.

Hey David, the comments listed on this thread covered far more ground than the similar thread in E-Budo.

[Kari Mäki-Kuutti]

All of the Sensei's and Branch Masters are certified volunteers and thus training schedules are centered around their availability.
Or maybe certifiable volunteers?
Kari Mäki-Kuutti