Women's Self Defense
There are many women in traditional striking arts who are coming to the realization that the myriad of techniques (i.e. spinning hook kick, high round house kick, etc) they've been taught throughout the years may be ineffective when dealing with real life threatening situations. Specifically, it is not wise to get into a kick boxing match with a strong aggressive male attacker or sexual predator.
Studies have shown that males tend to have reptilian mindset when fighting and will usually mimic their opponent by executing a similar striking technique - each time with more aggression and intensity. Furthermore, it has been scientifically proven that most males have stronger upper bodies than their female counterparts, which puts them at an advantage if the dangerous encounter involves striking.
Having said this, it is important that any female looking to learn how to truly defend themselves carefully evaluate the type of program that they're enrolling in. More importantly, they must keep an open mind to other types of disciplines, such as Brazilian Jujitsu, which was designed for the weaker person and the reality of defending oneself on the ground.
In my opinion, a blend of practical and efficient striking (i.e., palm, knee, elbow strikes, etc) interlaced with practical ground grappling and submission techniques, may help to level the playing field relative to gender differences. Moreover, it can significantly increase the odds of survival during an aggressive male assault.
With that said, effective and proven programs like FLAG (Fight like a Girl) developed at "Defend University" should be highly considered for any female in search of reality based self defense training.
