Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

  • Gabriel Morgan

    Heightened awareness of this horrible problem is worth the money she’s asking for here, but I’m very leery of people peddling two day “self defense” courses, especially those who think that “nine years of tae kwon do” is a qualification.  I hope it works out for all concerned.

    • Gilbert Wham

      Well, it’s not gonna make you a ninja, but it’s probably time to learn some situational awareness.

    • nachoproblem

      She specifically said they only aspire to teach a handful of moves that might make a difference, and Tae Kwon Do is probably qualification enough for that. Since, like Gilbert said, they are not trying to make you a ninja.

    • Snig

      Nine years of tae kwon do and a hapkido blackbelt can mean a lot or a little.  She did mention having successfully defended herself three times, which is also a decent credential.  Effective eye gouging and a few groin attacks can be taught in the time frame she’s using.  If I knew someone was going to be attacked, I would rather have two days to prepare them vs. them having no preparation.

    • http://twitter.com/ArmingSisters Arming Sisters

      Hello Gabriel,

      This is Arming Sisters instructor / founder. I am fully aware of the leery feeling of a two day course. The course it laid out as a specific compact self defense course. I’ve been giving them in Cairo, Egypt with Tahrir Body Guard and the women do walk away knowing at least 8 out of the 10 basic moves. The course is focuses on joint locks, pressure points, and key strikes. 

      Also, 9 years of taekwondo is not a qualification at all. In fact, I warn people about this all the time. There is the sport side of martial arts, but knowing how to kick will not do you any good in a situation where you are attacked. In fact, it will do more harm than good. The self defense is not based around taekwondo at all. 

      If you’d like any more information I’d be glad to give it to you as it seems some things were unclear. Feel free to email me at ArmingSisters@gmail.com anytime. 

      Toksa Ake,
      Patty

  • http://twitter.com/ocschwar ocschwar

    Remember this is still no substitute to changing the laws regarding tribal police pursuing non-tribal members off rez. 

    • http://twitter.com/ArmingSisters Arming Sisters

      *applauds* THIS is where the real problem lies. Also in education, but mainly here. Hopefully we will see a change with VAWA being reauthorized with tribal provisions. 

  • tamgoddess

    I make no claim about understanding the specifics of this particular situation. But many years of self-defense classes in the mainstream culture hasn’t done much to prevent rape. How about teaching boys that it’s wrong, and stop making it the woman’s problem to prevent?

    • nachoproblem

      How about stop assuming that offering help in any particular area is making it the woman’s problem.

    • llazy8

      Well, looks like there’s two things here.  One, the new campaigns to start putting social pressure on males not to rape, harass, manhandle, etc. and those campaigns are right-with a fist pumped skyward-on.  However, there are other feminists who just haven’t started trusting society at large (called The Patriarchy IIRC) and propose personal defense for women against said society at large.  The two are not at odds.  

    • Snig

      I do, personally, know people who credit self defense and martial arts training for preventing rape and assault.  I (male) have done a couple decades of martial arts/ self-defense classes, initially at least for self-defense.  I would have preferred a world where I had never felt the need for self-defense.  I view my choice is like the Stuart Smalley cliche, sometimes it’s easier to wear slippers than to carpet the world.  I do understand that no one should have to feel an obligation to take a course in order not to be raped, and no one who’s been assaulted should have to justify why they didn’t fight.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Shane-Simmons/100000053744641 Shane Simmons

      Yeah!  And so that we can go ahead and ban guns, let’s stop making robbery the homeowner’s problem to prevent!  Unlocked doors for all!

      Yeah, I realize I delved deeply into ad absurdum territory there.   Or did I?

      I remember being exposed to materials throughout childhood and adolescence on such subjects as drunken sex being rape, no meaning no even if you’re about 2 seconds away from being done when your partner says no, and how horrifying forcible rape is for the victim. Doesn’t seem to lower the statistics either. I honestly don’t understand the mindset that tells a person that forcing sex on someone else is okay.

    • glaborous_immolate

      studies of men who are prone to be rapists show that they are very unlikely to be moved by any such instruction.

      “[majority of the rape prevention programs that target males] have typically focused on rape supportive attitudes, sexual role stereotypes, and social attitudes that are hypothesized to support sexual aggression. In large part the models implemented in these programs have been based on feminist and social construct theory. Although the attempt to reduce the high prevalence of sexual aggression on college campuses is laudable, the results have not been encouraging.”

      “The two prime candidates for prevention of the development of traits that lead to rape are physical and sexual abuse.”

      http://www.vawnet.org/sexual-violence/print-document.php?doc_id=2107&find_type=web_desc_AR

      • Snig

        tamgoddess discussed educating boys,your quote is referring to educating college students.  The paper then goes on to say that doing it by the time their college students is too late, but is more hopeful about interventions with younger children.  

        • glaborous_immolate

          I’m not so sure the reference gave much indication of the age, but granted. I’m still dubious about the utility of such interventions. “hey 12 y.o.s. You may soon expereince sex. Now BTW, girls you know may soon be drunk. Make sure you reazlize youre not entitled etc etc. will that teach anyone who isn’t already predisposed to act correctly?

          plus, “The two prime candidates for prevention of the development of traits that lead to rape are physical and sexual abuse” which means i suppose you could separate out abused kids and give them extra “hey make sure you don’t rape anyone” lessons, but the optics of that look pretty bad, no? 

          • Snig

            If you have better screening to identify physical and sexual abuse in kids, that would likely lead to better prevention. More resources to counsel young survivors of abuse could very possibly be helpful, it is not likely they’ll have a “don’t rape others course” added to their curriculum.  Waiting until kids are 12 is probably too late.  Different cultures have different tolerances for rape.  In different eras, it was tolerated more than it is today.  How did this happen, other than people (men) being taught it was wrong?  

  • oasisob1

    To those of you who don’t like what she’s trying to do and think you have a better solution: get your video up on kickstarter then and go do it. Otherwise, go donate to hers and know that she’s awesome because she’s decided to do what SHE can do about a problem.

  • fredges

    As far as I’m concerned, we should never forget that this is still their land we’re living on. American activists will fly to _________ to protest _________, but we don’t prosecute rapists that attack Native Americans?? Wow… Anyway, you go, girl. At least you’re doing more than sitting at a computer spouting worthless opinions like us. I will support this.

    • http://twitter.com/ArmingSisters Arming Sisters

      Thank you for the support! 

  • http://twitter.com/chrisjimson chris jimson

    As an aside– nice use of the “Indian head test card” in the background.

    • http://twitter.com/inflector Curtis Faith

      Them Lakota have some serious music and video talent at their backs. Did you see the Pe’Sla video they did with Chase Iron Eyes on IndiGogo? Amazing music and cinematography

  • glaborous_immolate

    BTW, is this actually about “arming” anyone? I mean, if this is only unarmed martial arts, you’re not really arming anyone. 

    • http://twitter.com/ArmingSisters Arming Sisters

      That’s exactly the point. It’s a play on words. Arming sisters with courage and knowledge. Not weapons. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rick-Adams/100000053021803 Rick Adams

    One of my Tae Kwon Do teachers was a tiny woman named Christie Burke-Maves. She had a seemingly endless list of national championship gold medals and taught an equally endless number of self-defense classes.

    She told me once that if she could only teach people one thing about self-defense, it would be: never fall or go to the ground on your stomach. She said that a number of her female students over the years talked to her about being attacked, and that was the most consistent thing they thank her for teaching them.

    Seems like a little thing right? But I think the point was that many people are capable of defending themselves if they can avoid a “check mate” type of situation.

    • http://twitter.com/ArmingSisters Arming Sisters

      Very well said. She is correct. Those “check mate” situations are what we aim to avoid. Avoiding alone can help save someone. 

  • Lee Keeler

    yes, but can she save me from the dreadnoks from g.i. joe? 

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/stein1624/4768974815/in/photostream

  • http://daruiburns.tumblr.com/ Dlo Burns

    I haven’t looked but could you imagine the comments on reddit? “Why is there no self defense class for white men? White men are more victims of abuse than any other group. Everyday I have brainwashing feminist trying to rapekill me because my fedora is that sweet.”

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Shane-Simmons/100000053744641 Shane Simmons

    “Why are we making it the woman’s problem?  Why not educate men?”

    Oh…wait…that’s here.  Because it’s wrong to teach people to defend themselves, because that condones crime.

  • Gilbert Wham

     Fuck, have I missed MRA loons, or what? I’m trying to guess the context here, but it’s hard (reverse-engineering asshole comments on BB is my version of the cryptic crossword. it’s fun).

  • artbyjcm

    What Reddit have you been visiting?

  • marilove

    It’s not wrong to teach people to defend themselves, but it seems that everything aimed at ending violence against women is telling the WOMEN what to do.
    And not all women want or are able to defend themselves. Just another thing to blame them for. “Why didn’t you take self defense classes? Why weren’t you able to protect yourself?”More self defense classes. How unique!

  • http://daruiburns.tumblr.com/ Dlo Burns

    Just to make sure you know I was being sarcastic to lampoon reddit’s MRA victim complex.

  • glaborous_immolate

    I’ve seen arguments from allegedly serious feminists that the focus on self-defense “supports rape culture”

  • tamgoddess

    Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have said anything. Having an opinion is tantamount to saying everyone who doesn’t agree with me is wrong. Still, the statistics bear me out. Still, I am wrong for saying so.

  • marilove

    When did I say that you having an opinion is “tantamount to saying everyone who doesn’t agree with me is wrong”? (And what an awkward sentence that was! Along with false!)  Please point it out when I said that. I would greatly appreciate it!

    I don’t even think you’re “wrong” exactly (though I don’t think you’re exactly “right”, either)– it’s just … fucking tiresome. Hey, women, how many times and ways can we give you the same damn advice? That has a high chance of getting thrown in your face if you do happen to get assaulted or raped?

    Also, do you know if you’re right?  What are the statistics on self-defense and rape? Does anyone know?  Because unless you know if it is actually useful, I’m not sure that you can call yourself right.  (That said, I imagine it does help, but I wonder how much, and compared to other preventative measures including, oh, I don’t know, educating and targeting the rapists for once?!)

    And, you know, I think it’s worth noting (probably again, as I hope someone has already mentioned this): Most rapists already know their victims. They already know the victim. This is NOT going to be helpful in most rapists because of that fact.

    This discussion is *always* centered around the rarest form of rape.

  • Snig

    I don’t think you’re wrong for feeling that women shouldn’t have to defend themselves against rape.  I really agree with you that it would be very good if teaching men not to rape was done more.  I was a teacher in a (heavily) padded assailant course taught with a woman as the main teacher, and myself as part time teacher, part time target.  Many of the women taking the class were survivors of rape, assault and incest.  Our viewpoint was never that it had been their responsibility to have learned it before  their attack.  The person who attacked them was the perpetrator and cause of assault.  In general, statistics on attacks suggest that women who defended themselves in assaults had better outcomes than people who didn’t.  It doesn’t mean going back and doing a play by play on victims of assault and saying “what you should have done is…”.   That’s certainly not helpful, and for many people just forces them to feel worse about the trauma.  We can teach people some skills so that they may have further choices in future events.  

    Marliove, I’ve read a lot of rape statistics, we relied a lot on the National Crime Victimization Survey, and the people who formulated the class read a lot of police reports.  Yes, this means that unreported rapes were not well represented.  Yes, rape by someone known is more common than stranger rape.  But stranger rape is not that uncommon, it’s thought to be about 25%.  And women certainly have a right to physically defend themselves against someone they know.  A good self-defense class will take that into account and discuss that.  We practiced that in ours. 

  • Stooge

    @marilove: your admonition about stranger rape being rare may not be wholly relevant here. Given that around 80% of rapes on indigenous women are carried out by non-indigenous men, it seems unlikely that US-wide trends apply.

  • http://daruiburns.tumblr.com/ Dlo Burns

    The person before me posted about how comments on kickstarter were getting stupid and nasty like youtube.

  • Gilbert Wham

     Aww, is that all? Never mind. Tho I’d never have guessed that was it. Cheers.