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Published: March 2007
"When I enrolled in a martial arts class 25 years ago, hoping to learn some self-defense techniques, the atmosphere was military, and macho types were everywhere. Women were a rare presence. Today, that's all changed. About 5 million Americans practice a form of martial arts each year, and a third of them are women."
Arthur Rosenfeld. Go With The Flow, Parade Magazine, October 9, 2005
Today, those numbers continue to rise as our culture realizes the benefits that martial arts can offer.
To this day, many "Traditional" Martial Arts Schools continue to practice styles that tend to be more militant, and discipline based. Most of these schools are not the type of environment that women feel comfortable learning in. Unfortunately, many women who have not set foot in the more "Modern" Martial Arts School do not know that there are some major fundamental differences.
At Cutting Edge Tae Kwon Do, we have taken a more modern, or "Cutting Edge" approach to the teachings of martial arts. We have a kind of "East meets West" approach. We believe that our teachings should balance between the teachings of an ancient, eastern system and culture, while meshing with the modern cultural ideologies of a 21st Century America. From the day that we opened our doors, our doors have been open to everyone. We believe that all people can learn and benefit from martial arts as long as the environment is professional, our programs are educational and the teaching is catered to help the individual.
Still to this day, many women are reluctant to put a uniform on and give martial arts a shot. Many women may feel that martial arts might be too masculine for them, or too aggressive. From this perspective, many women are focusing on the "Martial" component and forget about the "Art." Martial Arts is one of the most beautiful expressions of the human mind and the human body. The forms or "Poomse" are dance like, yet tell a story of empowerment through self defense. A dance that most people would think of, such as ballet, may tell a story of love, sorrow or loss, but a form tells the story of human's most passionate expression... saving your own life or that of a loved one. The amazing part of the stories of self defense is that some of them become a reality.
We believe that every woman should be confident enough to protect themselves if they are forced to. We also believe that women and men alike should have a great school to train at: One where you can forget about the stress of your day, one where you can gain great health benefits with an activity that is not repetitive, and one that empowers you to create a better quality of life for yourself and your family.
I wanted to finish the article as I started it; with a quote directly from a women in the martial arts. This last quote is from Tracy Welch, a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, "How can I describe it? I look forward to going to class. I mean, I really look forward to going to class! If I had a hard day at work, I know that at the end of that long day I can go to a place where everybody's happy to see you and you can kick and yell and get out all of your frustrations, increase your heart rate, stretch your aching back, build strength and stamina, and learn a new self-defense technique. At the end of 45 minutes, I feel like a different person. I'm happy and rejuvenated and already looking forward to tomorrow's class. I feel like it's one of the best things that I have ever done for myself."
Brian Miller, President/Head Instructor,
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