Brawling Ballerina Babes

[Lori]

Posted here as well at the suggestion of student (I agree that it also fits here very well - thanks!)

Back in Cleveland around 1971 I was at the commons area of a woman's dormitory talking with a friend, Andrew, and his girl friend, Judy. I was currently enrolled as one of the ukes in the college (Case-Western Reserve University) Women's Self-Defense (ju jutsu) course; it was my way of getting free lessons by being one of the men upon whom the girls - and this is 1971, I am using the word 'girls' precisely here - the girls practiced their techniques.

(Sigh. "Feminism" was not yet a word. "Women's Lib" was a strange creation, barely blooming. Very few of these students were interested in anything other than college physical education credit; e.g., an uke would toss off a slow punch: 90% of the time he could go out for a beer, read a chapter of Tolkein, build two board-and-cinder block bookshelves, and come back to the mat before the student would timidly block and tentatively chop back slowly with all the power of an anaemic mosquito and then jump back quickly and solicitously inquire: "Did I hurt you?"

(But then there were the 10% - the women who pulled their groin kick at about T-7: the uke would do a one and one-half gainer into the air, land whimpering in fetal position, and she would look down, grin, and say: "That was fun!!! Let's do that one again!!!!!"

(Needless to say I, never, never approach the mat without protection. Never.)

Returning to our muttons; the subject of the self-defense class came up. Judy had taken one semester and put it to good use.

She had been at the platform for the Cleveland Rapid Transit (a trolley/elevated train public transportation) when accosted by a man with a knife. As she told the story she said she kicked him low, demonstrated the kick as she was speaking, and then she ran away. On her way down the stairs from the platform she met another woman going up the stairs and she said: "Lady, go back; there's a man up there with a knife!"

Judy finished her story. Andrew and I then picked our jaws off the floor, where they had been during the recitation. Judy had demonstrated the low kick to us - and kept her foot there for the entire recitation of the rest of the story.

The foot was at my jaw level in an extended roundhouse kick, and I am taller than Judy.

Did I neglect to mention that Judy had a part-time job instructing ballet?

So, yes, I believe ballet can contribute a dimension to martial ability.

student

[Van Canna]

Good post, Lori.... but...but..

" The real American type can never be a ballet dancer. The legs are too long, the body too supple and the spirit too free for this school of affected grace and toe walking."

Isadora Duncan (1878–1927), U.S. dancer. My Life, ch. 30 (1927).



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Van Canna

[student]

Sigh.

Improvised weaponry (like scarves) is
supposed to be employed on the other person....

student

[This message has been edited by student (edited September 10, 2000).]