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Women who practice aikido, and the men who practice with them, face a variety of gender-related issues both on and off the mat. That we all bring our life experiences with us to aikido is not a novel idea. However, as an aikido instructor, I have noticed several issues that women aikido instructors may face that are substantially different from the experience of men instructors. I have noticed that women aikido instructors seem to "collect" women students. That is, without a concerted effort on the part of the instructor, more women seem to attend classes taught by a female instructor. Perhaps this is because women students, particularly beginning students, feel more comfortable with a female instructor -- imagining a shared experience based upon gender, even if this is not the case. There may also be a preconception of how and what a female instructor will teach -- perhaps that her class will be more "relaxed", or that she will choose techniques that are "softer". When this turns out not to be the case -- the instructor chooses "hard" style techniques and demands focus and intensity in practice -- students may feel bewildered or somewhat resentful, not consciously realizing the false expectations that their own preconceptions led to. On the other hand, some women students find that they are more secure in practicing such techniques under a female instructor. New female instructors frequently ask themselves how they might handle "challenges" on the mat. As with any type of instruction, our comfort level in front of a group of people increases with confidence in our own skills and experience in teaching. There seem to be two types of challenges that any instructor might face: challenges to one's legitimacy as an instructor, and challenges to the effectiveness of the techniques we are teaching. Personally, I have never experienced the former, and would not accept an opportunity to teach unless I felt enough confidence in my own ability. Occasionally, both male and female students have challenged the effectiveness of techniques. It is true that some techniques seem to be better suited to certain body types. However, I have found that all techniques can "work" when energy, balance and timing are right. If suggestions regarding these elements do not seem to resolve the problem, a subtle (or not-so-subtle) demonstration may be in order. Challenges to the effectiveness of techniques more common in beginners' classes when practicing from a static position. Generally, such challenges can be addressed by pointing out that in a dynamic situation the technique is effective. This may also be an opportunity to demonstrate that if one response does not "work," then others may and should be tried. |
In general, the students I have taught have been sincere and willing learners. This may due in part to the deliberately slow pace of the first sessions of beginners' classes, which seems to discourage those who seek quick results. As classes progress, there are different challenges that face men and women in their practice. However, both men and women frequently need to be reminded to use less force. For men, a certain amount of force seems to be unintentional - their physiology lends itself to the application of strength. Women, on the other hand, seem to think (in error) that they should use more force. As a result, I often find myself reminding male students to focus on not using "instinctual force," and reminding female students that they do not need to use "intentional force." Only rarely have I had a male student challenge suggestions that relaxing and using less energy (force) will allow him to do a technique more successfully. More common is the case of female students who believe that a technique "works" for them only because their male partner is "letting" it work. One of my challenges as a female instructor is to show male students that a certain amount of controlled strength is necessary when working with female students in order for the technique to be "real." This does not mean that "strong-arming" is in order, but they are not helping out their female partners by "being soft." Having this demonstrated by a female instructor seems to be more convincing than when a male instructor makes a similar suggestion. At the same time, I try to show women students that they need to extend and use controlled energy when practicing. Control is essential, however, for women are initially unaware of just how effective aikido techniques can be when applied correctly. I know of several men who have been injured by women who did not realize this fact. I have learned much from practicing aikido
with both men and women, and this experience has carried off
the mat into everyday life. As a woman instructor, I have learned
that teaching by suggestion must be backed up by a willingness
and ability to demonstrate. This seems to be equally effective
when working with both men and women. I hope that both the male
and female students with whom I have worked have also found in
their aikido practice lessons that make their relationships off
the mat richer and more balanced. Even as I teach, I am such
a student. |
