ANST -Ladies Chest Protection

[Dennis and/or Dory Grace]

Hi all, Aquilanne here (with a handful of change, as usual ;-> )

Good Eric writes:
>I can¹t imagine that any male fighter would be able to take the field
against a female opponent with an unprotected chest, and not have similar
reservations. Maybe that is a strategic consideration =8-]. But the first
time I ever fought, I was told ³feel free to fight hard; your opponent is
well armored and shouldn¹t get hurt.² A situation such as the above would
sorta mess up this implied agreement, that we all come out on the field in
good armor, so we can all focus on fighting well and having fun, without
worrying too much about hurting someone.  So, in answer to the Tall One¹s
assessment above, it both is and is not my problem.....  Any thoughts on this?

I've never convinced myself to put on armor and do the heavy, but I have
trained in other martial arts, so Eric's response (among others--not
picking on you here!) prompted me to toss in my nickel's worth.

Most of us fight because we enjoy both the physical *and* psychological
challenge of it; you really can't separate the two. As easy as it could be
to turn this whole issue into a question of sexism, equality, etc., what a
lot of it comes down to is recognizing the individual and recognizing one's
self.

Regardless of gender, different people have different pain threshholds.
Every individual who takes a fighting stance against an opponent has his or
her own unique set of goals, fears, needs, perceptions, philosophies,
issues, and methods of coping. I think it's important to first and foremost
create develop and maintain an attitude of respect for your opponent, along
with appreciation of their willingness to engage with you. If a man has
issues about fighting a woman, then that is a challenge the man needs to
address for himself and meet. If any physically strong person is afraid of
hurting smaller opponents (male or female), then that is a challenge that
person needs to address for his/herself and meet. The opportunities out
there--at fighter practice, in a war, on the list field--for personal
growth are endless. 

As to "the first time I ever fought, I was told 'feel free to fight hard;
your opponent is well armored and shouldn¹t get hurt.'" and the "implied
agreement",  just last night at fighter practice one fellow dislocated a
shoulder, Lyonel came home with a pretty healthy bruise on his upper arm
and a right nasty one forming on his pec area just above his breast (yes,
men have the same basic anatomy up top, glands and all), and I would
imagine one or two other folk received a solid blow or two that felt less
than pleasant. People *do* get hurt because, forcryingoutloud, they're
hitting each other with big sticks! In other martial arts where protective
equipment is required (and they're *not* hitting each other with big
sticks!), people still occassioncally get hurt--bruises, sprained muscles,
torn ligaments. When an adult makes the decision to take a fighting stance,
they're also making the decision to accept a chance of injury; simple,
well-known and widely accepted concept. And while the goal in fighting
isn't to actually harm the other person (let alone yourself), it is
fighting, and injuries do occur, regardless of gender. You might want to
ask yourself if an attitude of reservation at fighting a woman just because
she's a woman is truly respectful--of both the woman and of yourself.

Sorry for waxing philosophical at such length. I'm mostly just thinking out
loud (e-loud?). Just some thoughts.

Aquilanne


Dory Grace--The Inkwell
denouncer of Tytyvylus & warrior crone
amazing at mail.utexas.edu
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