Dear DU Woman--stop throwing back shots of Rum and you won't get raped....

[apnu]

26. Martial arts do work.

In that situation and every other. Very often thumping one of the aggressors in a pack scares off the others. They're attacking in a pack because they are cowards and need the support of the group to be bold. Break that and the group dynamic can fold fast. She frightened off 5 drunk men with a shout, that's evidence of what I'm talking about. Shows she's a smart girl. Which you said, I'm validating your idea.

The important thing to find is a style and school that fits with the student's personality and mindset. There are good schools and bad schools. Bad schools won't teach you much, give you false confidence and the first time the student uses their art, they'll get beaten badly. We call these bad schools "black belt mills"

Clues for a bad school are:
- A preponderance of lots patches and flashy, glitzy stuff. Such as lots of micro rewards.
- A speedy course to black belt (i.e. "we can get you a black belt in a year and a half" or some other statement that makes you think the process is rushed)
- Offering little after acquiring the black belt. A good school will continue training post-black belt and may even say that the "real" training comes after black-belt.
- Lots of hyper masculine ego in the dojo, shouting and military-esqe mindset.

Learning a martial art, whatever that is, Karate, Kung-fu, Capoeira, etc -- it doesn't matter, is more about what the student learns internally. Its a marriage of physical training and technique and a mental/emotional preparedness and toughness. That takes a lot of time and practice to possess. Martial Arts should be a long journey, one that lasts a life time. So if your niece decides to step on that path, she should be prepared to stick it out. That doesn't mean she must adhere to one style for ever. One of the most amazing martial artists I know is both a high ranking black belt in Karate as well as holding a high regard as a shifu in Kung Fu. She shouldn't be afraid to try out different schools and styles until she finds one that fits for her, whatever that may be.

No one martial art is better than another. It is all about the practicer. I have seen students of karate, kung fu, tae kwon do, and aikido all get owned in one situation or another. I've also seen students of those arts wipe the floor with other partitioners.

In any event, I wish her the best of luck. If she keeps her head, she'll be OK.