Herding Cats
Herding Cats
Some would say that trying to get self-defense instructors to work together on a project is like trying to herd cats. My theory is that we who enter this field tend to be independent, controlling, a little rigid, perhaps a bit defensive? I’ve had professional experience working with surgeons as well, and I see a lot of similarities. Teaching self-defense can be an intense field, fraught with adrenaline, a desire to rescue, and a lot of contact with those who’ve had their lives threatened.
So perhaps surprisingly, I really enjoyed a gathering of my people last week - the Association for Women’s Self-Defense Advancement held their annual meeting in Greenville, South Carolina this year. AWSDA (the acronym that makes everyone sound like a New Yorker) has members across the US, Canada, the UK, as well as Germany, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan! If you’re looking for a class, you can search the AWSDA database for instructors in your area.
Setting aside the requisite drama and schisms, I met some wonderful people and learned a ton. I got to practice some old techniques, learn new ones, ask other instructors what’s working for them and share what’s working for me. And I was thrilled to teach a class on trauma and some of the gifts and challenges of teaching self-defense to survivors of violence.
Where else but AWSDA can you find energy workers, therapists, NRA members, cops, cage fighters, martial artists, feminists, and social workers working toward a common goal? As Bernice Johnson Reagon said in 1981:
“…[working with others] is not necessarily nurturing. It is coalition building. And if you feel the strain, you may be doing some good work…Most of the time you feel threatened to the core and if you don’t, you’re not really doing no coalescing…..There is no hiding place. There is nowhere you can go and only be with people who are like you. It’s over. Give it up.” Her speech is at that link in its entirety and it moves me to this day.
So if you’re a personal safety proponent, I hope you’ll consider joining AWSDA. And no matter what your field, I hope you’ll keep helping to build coalitions.