What is the best way to teach a girl self-defense?

Teach her to read men’s intentions, watch her surroundings and bring a reliable guy.

A woman is much more likely to be hurt by people she knows rather than a stranger. Teach her to not date men who show signs of being unreasonably violent. Teach her to not provoke madmen or be alone with a drunk guy she doesn’t know well.

Is that too harsh? Should we instead teach rapists not to rape and muggers not to mug? Well, tough, life doesn’t work like that. In WW2, 20 million Chinese people died, and you probably don’t know the name of a single one. That’s tough. Being reasonable and expecting some inherent evil within humanity is just something you need accept in order to live a sane life.

I’m going to be honest here - physical self-defense for women probably hurts them more than it protects them. That’s because bullies or rapists are not likely to pick a woman who’s stronger than them (or even find one). The girl’s resistance would only make the attacker angrier, or, in some cases, hornier, as rapists do it for the violence.

Every single self-defense video aimed at women I’ve watched is the fighting equivalent of homeopathy, including the famous Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In pure hand-to-hand combat, physical strength is 60%. Size and reach are probably 35%. Technique is 5%. This is why you have weight categories - you won’t see a guy like Fedor Emelianenko fighting a guy like Connor McGreggor because Fedor will win in the first round.

Assuming there’s no way to physically overpower an assailant is much safer.

This is true for men as well. Why risk dying over the things in your pocket? Muggers and other violent individuals are only going to get madder. I’m 195 cm. I was once challenged to a fight by a skinny, 160 cm druggie on the street. I could’ve splattered him on the pavement.

But why do it?

There’s usually nothing to gain from fistfighting, unless you’re doing it a gym in a controlled environment. As small as the guy was, he could’ve pulled a knife. I can punch him in the face and he can have AIDS, I get his filthy blood on me. Or maybe I beat him up flawlessly, without mussing up my clothes or hair. What have I gained in the end?

Fighting is usually stupid.

Avoid it as much as you can, if it can’t be avoided, just run. You’re more likely to be hit by lightning than you are to successfully defend yourself with your fists if you’re weaker.

Here, I’ll also go one step further and say to girls to not study martial arts with hopes of being able in using them for self-defense. In fact, I’d strongly urge fighting instructors to stop selling self-defense courses that assure any sense of security, because it’s non-existent.

If you want to train martial arts, do it for the sport, for the fitness and for the spirit of competition. It will not save you. Most martial arts are undone by a baton. ALL martial arts are undone by a knife or a gun. Yes, even the ones used by the Israeli Defense Force of the Navy SEALs. They carry guns and body armor for a reason.

Know that martial arts are a sport, even contact ones.

There are tons of MMA fighters and boxers who were killed or injured because they thought they knew how to fight. Well, life isn’t like it is in the ring. You can easily get stabbed or punched to death. There’s no referee to stop the fight. And people aren’t reasonable, especially those that would carry out violent acts in a civil society.