[Rubber_Duckie_27]

I did Aikido for about a year (loved it, but it conflicted with my class schedule)...I am a fairly muscular woman with a large bone structure, and I still got the stuffing beat out of me. Aikido has a reuptation for being a gentle art, but it's just the nature of the beast that the men would have an advantage.

Most of the men were surprisingly gentle (I wasn't the only woman in the class). They didn't go out of their way to inflict pain on any partner, male or female, but they were easier on a female training partner. There was one guy, though...he was only happy if his female partners were bruised and battered...we hated him with a passion. He was a short, stocky man with a domineering girlfriend, so the other women and I figured he liked to cause us pain to get back at her psychologically.

I'll have to look into Wing Tsun. I'd like to get back into martial arts.

[demosthenes the elder]

be sure to investigate the occidental martial arts of ching-ching-pow and shuk-chuk-boom as well.

[AnAmericanMother]

Why didn't the women collectively ask your sensei to "have a little talk" with Mr. Abuse? I know our sensei wouldn't stand for any such nonsense. Taking out your frustrations on uke is contrary to the teachings and the spirit of aikido.

But you're right, there's really no comparison in physical strength between women and men in martial arts. I don't train with the "big guys", I'm very happy in the novice group at the far back left hand side of the mat! My husband, on the other hand, just eats that stuff up.

I prefer to place my trust in the dependable products of the Colt Firearm Manufacturing Company.

[webstersII]

I thought Aikido was supposed to make up for alot of the mis-match in size and strength. Did you not find this to be true?

[briant]

Brazilian jui-jitsu is very good for the weaker fighter. Look at some old Ultimate Fighting Championships.

[Thorondir]

Wing Tsun, eh? Probably a good choice, though not my style. Wing Tsun is the name of the female who made the style up a few hundred years ago. Good luck.