Men who say women taking martial arts is useless

This isn't a pet peeve, it's just misogyny.

It's annoying because they are saying "it does not matter what you do, I can still hurt you". The audacity of these men to threaten you just blows my mind. Why do they feel challenged when a woman is on their level when it comes to strength?

Some dudes will literally claim a woman in danger of an aggressive man as not their problem because "she should've known better."

They will hurt us if we defend ourselves and they will abandon us if we reach out for help. There is nothing you can do except keep on practicing your martial arts and fuck everyone else who complains about it.

ronda rousey would f*** up the average dude lol or even the top 10% of men thats a funny arguemnet people are willing to have

What's particularly funny about this is that there are countless videos of men embarrassing themselves by challenging women who train or compete in combat sports and getting their asses absolutely handed to them.

A trained person is going to beat an untrained person 999 times out of 1000. That's how reality works. That doesn't just apply to combat sports. If you play basketball on a league and you're practicing twice a week and playing games every weekend, you're going to be better at basketball than someone who doesn't do that. It's not rocket science.

These are just men with fragile egos who are threatened that there are women in the world who can beat them up.

Yeah, this is part of why I don’t mention that I do karate irl to most people. Also if it is needed it’s more effective if they aren’t expecting it. I do karate to learn to defend myself, I don’t compete. Even so, while I may not be a world champion at fighting, I’m going to have a much better chance at making it out alive than I would had I not started learning karate.

Very annoying. Tbh every sports related post I see on IG of a woman doing anything is guaranteed to have pathetic bitter men in the comments shitting on it in one way or another.

They're so threatened by the idea of strong independent women.

It’s just as messed up looking at it the other way too. Imagine you actually were taking these classes for self defense. You literally feel the need to train yourself in combat so you can be safe living your normal life out in public. And men find humor or joy or whatever in proving that it’s pointless, no matter how hard you try to protect yourself they will always succeed in harming you. Like wtf. Why would you say that to someone you assume is going out of their way to learn to protect and defend themselves? Is it really a point of pride that you feel you could assault a woman no matter how hard she tried to stop you? How many women in their life have tried and failed to fight them off that this is their immediate response? I hate men.

It’s just as messed up to immediately think that way about a woman playing a sport, but even if they had correctly assumed your motives it doesn’t make it any better.

They don't like it if women are out of shape. But they don't like it if they're better at something either. (Not all but some) Thank goodness my boys aren't like this

Hell yeah! Keep up the training! I've always believed that everyone should do some form of martial art. I know it isn't for everyone, but just reading that anyone else does is is always awesome to me!

Stupid that anyone should be put down for doing anything based on their biology. Anyone can do anything, if it interests you, there's no reason why it should be a problem.

these men also think they could beat serena williams in a tennis match. they don't realise how pathetic they're really being

I see it this way: I'm a big man, and could probably wrestle most women easily, but all she would have to do would be to get a good punch or two in. Being big does not make you invulnerable.

Even if women take classes for self defence, it's not useless. A woman is less likely to fend off a male attacker even with training, but that doesn't mean they stand no chance. This is especially true if the attacker is untrained and the woman is an expert.

I'm 180 cm tall and weight about 95 kg, I would refuse to fight a woman with lots of training. Even if I could win, I'd probably suffer damage in the process.

As you point out, it's not necessarily about self defence, it could just be for fun.

I guarantee you there are women out there who would wipe the floor with me. Physical strength and mass can't be ignored, but it's not the only applicable factor either.

I took a Judo class in college for fun. The teacher was a very small woman who had trained in Judo her whole life and competed internationally. She was so cool! She used to demonstrate the techniques on this football player guy in class who was about three times her size and she threw him to the ground with ease every time.

Some men are just perpetual little boys who throw temper tantrums when they get “beat by a girl,” lol. They don’t deserve the time of day!

I suppose you could say 'maybe you could but you would never be able to have kids again.'

The guys in competition are just dicks for saying that to you. The untrained guys saying this to you are dicks AND they're delusional. Size matters a whole lot less when you're on your back. In stand-up, sure, they'd probably handle you if there is sufficient size difference. That's not a man/woman thing. That's weight class. But you practice judo, BJJ, and straight up MMA, which blends quite a few other martial arts into your skillset. You know takedowns. If you're able to execute a takedown, an untrained guy much larger than you is still fucked. Strength isn't useless, but it's a whole lot less useful when sufficient pressure is applied against joints or when getting choked with correct form. The number of guys who are strong enough to simply pull out of an orthodox armbar, one of the most basic moves, is very small. The number of guys who can do stuff like that against a proper choke, or, hell, a triangle, or similar, is even smaller.

A professional female* MMA fighter could beat the absolute snot out of a man

That guy is why women choose the bear. Just saying.

Some men try to one-up women about everything because they can’t compete with other men

Anyone who says this to you you should challenge them to a cage fight and beat the shit out of them. We can turn it into a reality TV show

Men who say that sound insecure as hell.

This seems to fall into the category of “god forbid a woman enjoy anything”

They’re gatekeeping martial arts. Keep doing what you love, keep carrying a taser, and definitely keep track of those red flags.

Don’t worry, they say the same thing to me as a woman working in a gun shop, that no matter how hard I train they’ll just “take my gun from me.”

I’m 5’8” and weigh more than half of them, and I’m taller than a quarter of them.

I laugh and reveal my shoulder rig they didn’t realize I even had on beneath my shawl as I walk away.

The look of panic on their face that the woman they just talked down to was so heavily armed it’s ridiculous, and that they didn’t even realize it is always satisfying to me.

The pursuit of a sport, of a proficiency is its own reward. Cut your own path. Anyone who would demean you is truly a weak, insecure person.

I train in Kendo and similar/related disciplines.

None of us actually think we’re gonna be fighting other people to the death with a katana. We have girls/women training, including my own daughter.

People who think like Tim are stupid.

If nothing else, it teaches respect and discipline.

I've trained with some serious lady fighters and if any couch potato or stool sitter thinks they can take a woman who does combat sports is delusional. We were not tournament fighters but practicing self defense for the purposes of self defense. I pitty the fool who tries to harass any one of them.

I've heard a lot of men spout such nonsense. I think they do it to look and sound tough but it sounds more like psychosis.

I always say this. And in instances where a woman DID use a weapon and seriously harmed the man or killed him. Those SAME men will say “she didn’t need to do that!” “So what if he was beating her face in that’s no reason for her to stb him…sh*him….” Etc.

Like they always go on about how the “average man” could still overpower the “strongest woman” which is BS…. But boast about it non the less. Then get mad when a woman uses a weapon to MAKE IT EQUAL.

And even then they think the average man has fighting abilities like John Wick and would have “no problem” I disarming the woman. Which is also a bunch of BS 😂

sexism is sadly still rampant

I suppose you could say 'maybe you could but you would never be able to have kids again.'

Women who do martial arts would kick the avg man’s ass. Most men do not even work out

Seems like, if anything, it would be MORE useful for a woman to take martial arts. Since the average woman is smaller and weaker than the average man, if the woman gets attacked, she needs every advantage she can get.

And I have an honorary niece who has a black belt in karate. I am about a foot taller than she is, and about 100# heavier. She could probably kick my ass.

Men who hate women who defend themselves end up being on the "Suspiciously likely to end in a woodchipper of justice list" since the proper name is either censored or protected reddit class.

"because if we get into a fight, you're right i'd be using blunt objects and a lawyer"
preach!
I shake my head at the same sorta guys who'd say a taller guy means they automatically win in a fight against a shorter guy.. like huh?
even if you're taller than me, how is that gonna stop me delivering a right hook to your balls instantly? toppling you over? having taken sefl defense classes? we anit in some boxing match fam.

What a weird attitude. It's no different than learning a skill, learning a new hobby, pursuing any other sport.

People saying stuff like that are weird. Also, I'm pretty sure a woman who knows martial arts could kick some guys ass. even if they were learning it for sport- If me and my sister fought for whatever unrealistic reason, she could kick my ass any day, lmfao. Those types of weirdos are just... People should stay away from things like that, really. I have nothing else to say about it. It's just concerning.

A trained female should be able to take down an untrained male. Better to know something than nothing as well.

I feel like so many people on the internet think a woman could never beat a man in a fight, regardless of either of their physical capabilities.

I also hate when people say “oh it’s so great for women to learn self defense.” I’m not doing it for self defense, I’m doing it because I love martial arts. If I were to be attacked I’m not throwing my Muay Thai combos at them lmao

I trained in judo for years. When I was 14, a grown ass man told me "just so you know, that's not going to save you from getting kidnapped if a man really wanted to take you."

Way to tell on yourself bro. Why even say that to a teenage girl? It was one of my dads employees too, the guy was like 40.

There is this quote that i like. "You dont learn martial arts to conquer others. You learn martial arts to conquer yourself. " I like it because it explains that martial arts should never be used for violence

For competition and fitness and confidence, every martial art is fun and definitely useful for self-defense if it's an art you enjoy. As for fighting off a male, martial arts may be enough w a bit of surprise, skill, and luck. But just in case, I tell my students (I teach Kenpo w a dab of Muay Thai) - male and female - consider Pepper Spray, if it's legal, or a stick (Escrima).

I've never had problems with women in martial arts. One of my favorite instructors was a woman who was really tough. She had a background in various styles, including Taekwondo and Boxing. She was pretty direct when it came to fighting. I wasn't ashamed at all that she could kick my ass. This was back in the '80s, so MMA hadn't quite caught on here, yet. At the same studio, Dana Hee was another of my instructors. She was great to spar with.

I love this post

I'd be wary of men like that men who want to beat up women in physical sports tend to be unhinged

I tried Bjj for a bit, wasn't for me, but I have mad respect for anyone who takes it. Watching the women take down a lot of the men was pretty cool to see. I discovered everyone there was very humble and down to earth. Real cool people

In a survival situation any skills can be helpful. That said, I'll opt for a gun over fighting skills any day.

God was smart enough to move them to the inside for the final draft. That's all the advantage I need 🤷🏼‍♀️

Those same men say women can't hunt or field dress their own kills. Insecure little boys.

They’re the same undateble dimwits who are currently off somewhere ranting about bears…

Ignore them.

You don’t need people like that in your life, their opinions aren’t worth considering.

I put my partner (who is ex military) in an arm hold that I haven’t used in over a decade. Nearly put him on the floor with minimal effort.

They don’t know what they are talking about… now I am too rusty to believe I could get into that situation if it wasn’t a demonstration, but I did have the skills at one time as a preteen to best grown men. I was particularly good at slipping control moves and creating my own.

I really should get back into that. It felt good.

And they wonder why we chose the bear.

They hate seeing women in any kind of sport and for whatever reason just triggers them to the point where they are foaming at the mouth just to hit a woman. And somehow they still think we're the problem.

I say let them foam at the mouth with all their hate. Funny thing is a lot of male athletes actually respect their female counterparts. It's always just a bunch of random nobodies that like to talk shit, ain't nobody listening to you fool, you look stupid.

It sounds to me that many of these people aren't necessarily saying it for you but for themselves. I'm in the United States and assuming that you are as well. Here we have a large culture of emotionally stunting men's growth, this is seen as comically absurd by men with reasonable cognitive ability, but unfortunately many men in this country seem to lack reasonable cognitive ability. Insecure men feel threatened by a woman having the ability to fight because they feel like even the possibility that a woman could beat them in a fight means they would be no longer a man. From their point of view when you tell them you're a martial artist you're directly threatening their masculinity, and their response is them defending themselves, they believe this because they're absolute f-ing morons.

I'm a man, black belt, seven years experience as a Sensei (almost entirely taught college age students) I think of self defense like this, I'm %100 certain that I could beat a house cat in a fight to the death. I'm also %100 certain that I wouldn't want to fight a house cat because I'm sure that cat would shred the f out of my arms on the way out. You don't have to be able to dominate your opponent for self defense, just make the fight look not worth it for them.

Used to do karate. My instructor was a tiny women bellow 5 foot. Definitely didn’t look like someone who’d know how to fuck you up. There were other students in the class who were over 6 feet tall and had black belts. They had enough respect for her to never try and challenge and size up to her.

I never saw her fight someone but a few times she’d do a demonstration and shit was she fast and efficient! I would never want to fight her even though I’m way taller.

Form my experience people who do martial arts don’t tend to size and one up others. They’re pretty respectful even to smaller people who have higher skill levels. It’s just disrespectful to challenge someone who’s more experienced just because you’re big or strong

In my experience, about 80% of men who say stuff like this couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag. It’s just misogyny

Those doofs just can't deal with the twinge of anxiety they get when they consider the possibility that... maybe you could beat them.

Besides, everyone benefits from some martial arts instruction whether or not you ever get into a fight, just for basic physical skills, balance, how to fall, etc.

Imagine.... thinking women who can fight like ninjas isn't one of the most awesome things to get to watch in physical human ability. And then getting mad when women enjoy it.

Most professionals come out of MMA matches unscathed

This is straight up not true.

I'm a dude who does mma, the men who say this shit are the same ones who don't know how to fight. So I encourage you to challenge them to a duel and thoroughly beat their asses

Lol I didn't even know this was a thing(the comments men make about it, that is).

Jesus some men are so fucking delicate. You sneeze too hard around them and they'll fall apart.

Tell them a single silverback gorilla would kill every single male professional MMA fighter in the world at once. Seriously, if you put them all in an empty stadium without any tools or weapons and put a single, out-for-blood gorilla in there with them, the gorilla would kill them all. But a woman with a gun can beat a gorilla. Then ask them if there's still a point to mention bothering to compete in MMA.

People who say "you wouldn't beat a man" don't get it and don't want to.

What's actually amazing is that when you're a grownup, the ability to beat someone in a fight is fairly low down the list of life skills anyway. Unless you live somewhere shitty you're not going to be fighting after the age of 30. What do you think? 🤷‍♂️

Some of these guys would definitely lose a fight against a woman because they're cocky. Being cocky gets you got, son.

Haven't been SA'd since I became a black belt, I beg to differ!

Small peen energy tbh.

I feel like it's only reasonable to even bring this up to a woman interested in martial arts is if she's about to be tricked into one of those "easy self defense classes" that claim to help but instead just make fake promises that some special trick will let you take down someone twice your size. But the reality of martial arts is that there's already weight classes so even though men don't fight women, men also don't fight men that weigh too much more than them. The point is fair competition lol

Had a woman come up to me at a tournament after watching a particularly good kata form, and she asked 'How does that help with fighting?' I asked her, 'How does baseball help with fighting?' She looked confused. 'Its a sport.' I said. She walked away confused.

But also, my school taught all around martial arts. Everyone learned how to defend themselves, along with forms, sparring and perfecting singular moves. A 12 year old black belt might not do much against The Rock, but she'll be proficient against bullies in school and the confidence she exudes while walking through the school hallways is going to deter bullies quite well.

It's also not just a sport, it's an art. Hell, it's in the name! I like doing fancy jump spinning kicks and elaborate moves in my sparring because its looks cool and I find it beautiful. No one tells a ballet dancer their pirouettes and leaps are useless!

The thing about self-defense is this:

The more physically and mentally prepared you are for violence, the less likely you are to freeze up or act stupid if you get stuck in an altercation without the option to leave or de-escalate.

These guys who say stuff like "well I could still beat you up" are missing the point.

Nobody is impervious to damage. Anybody who sees themself as Billy Badass who's going to beat up an attacker with their bare hands is naive. This goes for men as much as women.

The first best defense is to leave or de-escalate a situation without violence. If that's not an option, you're next best defense is the great equalizer. Women should be more comfortable training with and using a gun.

Being trained and prepared to use your hands, and the rest of your body if necessary is the best possible way to mitigate harm and give yourself a better chance at survival if things get really hairy and you're having to fight.

Men who think it's useless for women to learn how to fight are just men who want women to be soft targets that are that much easier to subdue and control. They can go fuck themselves.

I mean, could you beat a man who has the same level of training as you? Obviously not, but I bet you could beat men who are out of shape and have no training. And the average guy who tries to mug or abuse women isn’t usually of a caliber to be disciplined enough to have trained at anything their entire life. So if someone tries to jump you, there’s a good chance they’re untrained. They’re also probably not on their A game because they don’t expect a woman to put up a fight. So all it will take is one quick kick to the balls they weren’t expecting, and then you have time to get away.

"Rhonda Rousey? Pft. I can take her."

Some men just need to have a knee stepped on.

I actually train in martial arts for self-defense. I study bujinkan ninjutsu. I've been there since 2016. I don't train for sports competitions because if we did our art at full speed, we would be shearing wrist bones, dislocating shoulders, and breaking elbows. The nice part is that I am a tiny person (5'4", 145) and I can move big guys like my stepdad and other big guys at my dojo without much effort if I move just right. Like there's Dave who's probably 6'4" and 225lbs+. He's tall and he's big. I can move him like he's nothing as long as I move right.

But really, it's mostly because I find it fun. I used to do ballet and I lost it because most studios are aimed towards kids I'm not sure of any studios around here that would take casual adults for classes. I would love to go back to ballet, but it's just not feasible. So I train martial arts instead. In 2015 if you would've told me I'd be incredibly close to getting my black belt, I wouldn't have believed you.

I find any guy who says that laughable, for one they've never been hit in the solar plexus or the balls (Wing Chun has some vicious kicks, punches and elbows with ridiculously little force,) But also yes to your point that men who have overinflated egos and little social awareness tend to find themselves at the gym when they should be finding themselves a therapist.

The hypotheticals are too much. I also do think it is equally annoying when a trained fighter thinks the sport has direct application to real world. Usually it doesn't. I have seen it time and time again at the bars, club or wherever. Some hot shot local boxer, mma or whatever thinks their big shit and gets rocked by some fat dude in a drunken rage.

Thats usually how it goes, trained fighter is trained to be the best at the rules and structure of their sport. Any amateur thinking they can do better without any training is clown I am waiting to laugh at.

Taking martial arts classes with the intention of learning to fight is stupid. Taking martial arts classes with the intention of fitness makes sense.

I agree with everything BUT

"If you start martial arts with the intention of being violent towards people one day thats weird behaviour"

I gotta say that this might be weird but sadly it's relatively common.

Edit: Not in judo nor karate but in boxing and mma. Some martial arts lean more into having more rubbish people than others.

I think it has to do with intention. People confusing martial arts with self-defense classes.

Self-defense classes are a scam. You're never doing to be able to save yourself with that stuff.

Martial Arts are a SPORT. Its competition. Its a skill. Its fitness. It might help you protect yourself, but thats not the whole shtick.

Nobody that isn't insecure out of their mind has trouble with women learning self defense or getting into interesting sports like boxing and MMA. They feel the need to point out they're probably stronger because somehow seeing you doing those sports is an affront to their ideas on masculinity and their personal identity.

See, what they're doing to you isn't any different than they'd do to weaker men, or just other male rivals they have trouble beating and repeatedly losing to. They're so insecure that they feel the need to fight their battlesoutside the ring. Don't pay these guys any mind, really, nobody likes them.

I mean. It is obviously good exercise.

It might be helpful in a self defense situation. Couldn’t hurt.

Of course, if the primary reason is self defense, firearms training or more beneficial.

Surround yourself with cooler people