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[bcorey]

Wow.  A lot of response here.  Gives me plenty to think about. 

Regarding the "mama bear" - I have used this previously with other women I have trained with.  This woman does not have any children, so that tactic doesn't quite hit home with her.  She actually has done very well with the empty hand techniques.  She puts intensity into the other hand strikes I have shown (palm strikes, hammerfists, forearm strikes, etc).  She started off doing o.k. with the stick strikes until we got to the pokes.  When I mentioned that the same angles of attack would be used when we picked up other weapons like the knife, you could see a change in her.  She even said that all of a sudden the stick poke became a "stab", and she had trouble dealing with that.  The funny thing is that she is taking shooting lessons, but that doesn't bother her.  Maybe its the distance factor?  Knife fighting/attacking/defense is very up close and personal.

I am sure she does have some issues to work through, I will try to gently cross that subject to see if she is getting any type of counseling.  In the meantime, I'll keep with the empty hand techniques. 

This is the first student I have taught that has been previously victimized, so its new territory for me.  My thoughts are, in addition to the advice above, that maybe I can make this more "fun" for her.  If its more of a game, even when we pick up the weapons, perhaps we can develop the muscle memory without her realizing what she is really doing with the technique???   I guess at some point there will need to be a connection made that the technique that has become natural is really a stab, or lethal strike. 

Thanks for all the response guys.  I'll give an update and let you know how it goes. 

Brian

[whitewolf]

Brian-good luck-take your time with her-it will be ok-
just stay away from the stabbing part for now
get her to think -(as hock points out) ---points from the citizen self defense blog-
use yourself as a aggressor-put a mouth piece in wear a cup-let her smack you-not a dummy hanging up -
respectfully- WW (ELB) "speed of light"

[Crafty]

I would correct her form and loads of pad drills.palm strikes,elbow.knees,

push,groin kicks, round kick waist height only,get her confident then progress from there no application.

few principles,tactics,loads footwork and loads of angles and line ups


good foundation,

[Kentbob]

I too have taught/trained/instructed a group of females and at least one prior victim.  Something I learned from being a member of a gym next door to a Curves was the incredible amount of positive reinforcement that an all-female environment provides.

I would suggest seeing if there is a female training partner or student who wouldn't mind coming in to be a training partner and a positive example to this woman.  Sometimes we just need to be shown that someone like us can indeed do the "impossible."

Kent