Written by:  Vita Ruggirello-Wright / Blue Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

 

Martial Arts have played an important part of my life.  I was introduced to Karate at the age of twelve by my older brother.  He thought that self-defense was an important skill for women to have, young and old, and with that in mind he signed me up.  I was too young to understand his reasoning—to me it was challenging, rewarding, and looked like a lot of fun.  It wasn’t until University that my brother’s concern for my safety became apparent.

 I can recall several handouts and campus programs bearing preventative “tips” placed as reference material to help women avoid being victims of assault.  I quickly became aware of what young women across Canada are up against.  “Studies conducted in 1995 at the University of Victoria estimate that between 1 in 6 to 1 in 4 women have experienced sexual assault during their university career.” (University of Victoria Sexual Assault Centre).   

Over the years I’ve taken every opportunity to study the relationship between violence and women, as a form of prevention and awareness.  The statistics I’ve come across in my studies do not target specific areas or cities. They do not target specific characteristics, looks, or age.  All women have the potential to become victims; it’s a fact that no woman likes to come to terms with.  “Statistics show one in four Canadian women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime. ( J. Brickman and J. Briere, "Incidence of Rape and Sexual Assault in an Urban Canadian Population," The International Journal of Women's Studies, Vol. 7, no. 3, 1984) This knowledge is what led me to analyze my skill level and the effectiveness of my former martial arts training.

As a teenager Karate was a great way for me to gain discipline, confidence, and self esteem.  As a young woman I could never see it helping me defend myself against a stronger aggressive opponent.  Not many forms of Martial Arts train you to defend yourself from close range, or on the ground, which are the most likely situations of an assault.  Most violent attacks find their way to the ground and assaults are unexpected, leaving little room for kicks and punches. “Being on the ground happens frequently during serious altercations. Could a person’s being taken down and not having an effective means to deal with the situation increase odds of death or serious injury, either to him/herself or to the assailant? My personal view is that this is the case.” (Chris Leblanc, The author is a law enforcement officer and use of force instructor in the Pacific Northwest, 2007). 

When I started doing research on the best martial art for women, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) was a parting of the clouds of ambiguity.  This art was created for smaller, lighter individuals to fight against larger stronger opponents.  BJJ teaches you how to defend yourself from close quarters, and from all angles (front, side, behind).  This martial art was created to fight from different positions, standing or on the ground. As you become comfortable on the ground and familiar with how a fight makes its way to the ground you also become able to avoid taking a situation to the ground altogether, if so desired. “Our style allows for a smaller person to defeat a much larger attacker. [Brazilian] Jiu-Jitsu is excellent for women who are often taken to the ground during assaults. We recommend this style for men, women, and children looking for a great workout and realistic self-defense.” (All-American Martial Arts Academy, www.groundgrappling.com).

 I feel that BJJ is for all ages and fitness levels.  BJJ training is providing me with a lot of physical benefits and an overall healthy active lifestyle. If you’re interested in taking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Ron Dupuis’ Windsor Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, facilitates all age training in this art.  BJJ is a sophisticated game of chess where either opponent can win from any position.  The eight year olds can be just as much a challenge as a 220-pound man, proving its effectiveness.  At Windsor Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you will receive training from a fully skilled martial artist; Ron Dupuis has been training for over 25 years in numerous styles of martial arts and has made the choice to leave his former training behind and start anew with a more effective and progressive self-defense.  I’ve been training at Windsor BJJ because of the dedication and hardworking atmosphere.

 Ron Dupuis takes the time to work with his students one on one, helping them to develop their own effective game plan . One of the unique features of BJJ is the idea of having your own game, not a “one student is a paper doll cut-out of the next” type program.  Developing a game plan not only builds confidence but it will be the automatic switch of defense, in and out of the dojo.