Transgender Specific Self Defense Course in Colorado

[Sarah]

Hi Everyone,
A friend of mine,
Tom Luxx Has called me the other day and has offered to teach a Transgender-specific self defense intensive.

Tom has been studying and teaching martial arts for over 15 years.

He curretly teaches, in addition to his regular Martial arts classes, a womens self defense course.

Talking to him one night at pub, I mentiond how one of the problems for members of our community was being attacked, and being somewhat more vunerable after and during transition.

I honestly didn't realize that somthing would come of that, so it was a pleasant suprise, when cathing up on things earlier this evening that he mentioned that he wanted to offer a Transgender-Specific self defense class.

I thought it was a great idea, so we will be back in touch very soon with the particulars.

I thought I'd go ahead and start spreading it arround as he is already working on the flyers.

It will be on Saturday, March 29'th, and will likely be an all day intensive.
There may be a second day offered on the following weekend depending on the demand and popularity.
He has said that he is willing to do it even if only two people want to show up.

Tom, has said that this will be a self defense course and not a martial arts class.

The emphasis on the most practical, useful techniques for getting of an attack and dealing with an attacker.

I am very glad for Tom's willingness to support our community and I will help him all I can in this endeavor.

If you are interested, please feel free to contact me by PM or email.

Thanks!

Sara

[Lisbeth]

I'm wondering how he would view this as different from a women's self defense course.

[Sarah]

He views it as similar,
But he is specifically offering it to our community.

[Lisbeth]

He views it as similar,
But he is specifically offering it to our community.

"Similar?"  I'm not sure how to define that.  I'm taking a women's self defense class.

[Sarah]

Well for one, this is a co-ed class.
It's not just for MTF Transsexuals.

Sara

[Brenda]

"Similar?"  I'm not sure how to define that.  I'm taking a women's self defense class.

The women's self defense classes that I've seen have consisted of yell, hit'em and run.   IMO, not particularly effective.

[Rachael]

you cant teach guys self defense and womens together...
Trans men can go fight and brawl like thier natal brothers...
teaching female self defense moves will offend  f2ms quite a lot...

not to mention how can you have trans self defense?

how to slap someone with your ego?
R >

[Brenda]

you cant teach guys self defense and womens together...
Trans men can go fight and brawl like thier natal brothers...
teaching female self defense moves will offend  f2ms quite a lot...

not to mention how can you have trans self defense?

how to slap someone with your ego?
R >

I think teaching men and women together can be very helpful.  Only if a woman is especially self-conscious do I think that starting out with women's only classes is beneficial.  But eventually they need to become comfortable with working out with guys.

[Rachael]

its not that... its more that most atendees of self defence courses are victims of attacks...
men can trigger serious problems
i utterly disagree at the combination, as different sexes can defend themselves in different ways,are victims of different crimes and scenarios....
women are more likely attacked by single attackers, males by groups, theres different needs, audiences, and why SHOULD women work out with men? if they want to they can go to a unisex gym....
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[lady amarant]

its not that... its more that most atendees of self defence courses are victims of attacks...
men can trigger serious problems
i utterly disagree at the combination, as different sexes can defend themselves in different ways,are victims of different crimes and scenarios....
women are more likely attacked by single attackers, males by groups, theres different needs, audiences, and why SHOULD women work out with men? if they want to they can go to a unisex gym....
R >

It's exactly that variability of a bad situation that makes it important to practice as wide a range of scenarios as possible. Yeah, statistically this, that or the other thing will happen depending on what group you fall into, but each individual situation is unique.

I've done martial arts all my life, and while for practice randori and tournaments we were always separated by sex and weight, for self defense training and general kumite, every sensei I've ever trained with randomly pairs people up. If there's a glaring imbalance one of the senior students or the sensei himself will give tips and help out, but it's important that one learns to deal with the unexpected if your self defense lessons are going to be of any use to you.

[Rachael]

Some women, including transwomen are NOT comfortable with this subject and men... why do you think most are separate?
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[lady amarant]

Some women, including transwomen are NOT comfortable with this subject and men... why do you think most are separate?
R >

Hey, I understand that, and I agree that people should have the choice to go to co-ed or separate classes. All I was saying, is that from an actual value point of view, co-ed teaches you more. Besides, there are ways to handle this sort of thing sensitivelt. Granted, in a once-off session you might not have the time to do so, but in ongoing classes, there's more scope for it.

[jenny_]

Some women, including transwomen are NOT comfortable with this subject and men... why do you think most are separate?
R >

If a transwoman isn't comfortable going to a co-ed transgender course, then they can still go to a women's-only one.

but surely its a good thing that somebody's willing to give up their time to give a self defence course for transgender people.

its not that... its more that most atendees of self defence courses are victims of attacks...
men can trigger serious problems

attendees of this one, both female and male would victims of (or afraid of) transphobic attacks.
Isn't this course more helpfull to a victim of an attack?  They wouldn't have to worry about any prejudice or stuff, which may make them reluctant to go to another course.

[Rachael]

Course yes, but not when something representing thier trigger is present too...
Studies and experience shows that most female attack victims do NOT want men anywhere near them while learning to protect themselves, self defense courses like that are part of the recovery therapy in some cases. and VERY fragile people can be upset by the presence of a trigger such as men... any men.
I was planning on running a coed self defense class at my students union for the safety week campaign i ran for the wellfare committee...
consultaiton with lgbt and the womens officer  and the entire overwhelming view was a mens class, and a womens, not only do the techniques vary massively between genders, the methods of teaching, and other items differ.....
Men and women are socially different, get used to it, and due to that, the practices either gender will be involved in are different, walking down a street at night for a woman is a different experience to that of a man, what she has on her is different usually, how they can defend themselves is different, different methods that in some cases, men just cant use.
a lot of teaching is relational.... relaying different experiences and showing how they can protect you... i doubt men can cry out for help when atacked...
Self defense classes in the civilian capacity are vulnerable settings where people are exposed, a lot arnt comfortable with the other sex present.
This is just my experience, disregard it at your will...
R >
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[lady amarant]

Rachael: I concede the point. Where people who have been in bad situations already are concerned, you're very probably right. I just feel that, for those of us who have been lucky enough not to yet, a broader base of experience would be good. But then again, how do you separate people on that basis - not every bad situation is physical.

My 2-cents, present both kinds of classes, and let people go to the one they feel most comfortable with.

[buttercup]

Where I come from most classes are run by men as they are good at teaching self-defense to anyone really!  I've only seen a couple of classes run by women and they are usually for elderly women who are more fragile.

And, if a women has that much trouble being in the same room with a man, she needs more help than a self-defense class! 

[Rachael]

No.... really not... youve clearly never dealt with rape and assault survivors...
R >

[buttercup]

No.... really not... youve clearly never dealt with rape and assault survivors...
R >

Oh right, so its as clear as mud huh?  I am a survivor!  I think you presume too much Rachael. 

And having a fear of a self-defense teacher, well obviously any male, as I said again, they need counselling not self-defense lessons!  How the hell do they even drive or walk to the centre, they'd have to pass dozens of males, oh for pete's sake this is silly!!!     Sheesh...

[Rachael]

No its not silly...
I dont think you realise that a self defense class is a very 'guard down' situation, your close to the event that is very upsetting to you, and that closeness to an assault situation AND males isnt a good combo... you may have experienced differently... But as The transgender welfare rep for the lgbt committee at my union, a member of womens committee, and Crime prevention officer for the welfare committee and union, ive come into contact with a LOT of survivors, and there is a predominant mistrust of men amungst a large number of female survivors. Classes like that are an intimate scenario, a lot of survivors would NOT be comfortable to even rollplay an attack with a male when that class IS part of thier therapy and recovery...
Its like swimming lessons... your terrified of water till you know you can swim. and a lot of survivors are s cared of being in that situation with males till they know they arnt as vulnerable...
R >

[DarthKitty]

It doesn't matter whether the self defense class is offered by a man, a woman, or otherwise.  If offering the class targeted towards a specific group means there's a chance someone is going to learn self defense that wouldn't have shown up elsewhere, that's what's important.  Not all tg's (depending on where they are at in life or transition) are comfortable being in a regular martial arts class, or in a women's self defense class, but would show up to a tg self defense class.

As for people that won't show up to the class because it's taught by a man or that the class is co-ed for whatever their reason, it doesn't diminish that the rest of the people that do take the class wouldnt have otherwise, and maybe hopefully this will inspire other places to start offering other classes that may reach more people.

When I went to grammar through high school, periodically the schools I went to gave mandatory self defense classes targeted towards children and teenagers.  Most of what I learned was pretty generic for pretty much anyone who needs to defend themselves in a bad situation and get away to safety.  So I definitely can see how there would be major similarities between any peer group and what they would learn.

Sarah, I applaud your efforts, and your friend's efforts big time.  As for the rest of you that have gone to or are currently attending self defence classes, good for you, too.  God willing, that's one less person that winds up being a statistic.

-Kit