Friday 2 September 2016

poetry 2016 / 097

Women's Classes

I read an article today
concerning women's self defence
(something I advocate
as saving lives and gaining confidence)
but it postulated self-defence
is only good for 1 in 4 attacks...
punched in the street, held up,
threatened, a scuffle in the pub...
where all the rest are crimes
perpetrated by someone
the victim knows, or loves.
All the training in the world
won't help you break your son's arm
or prevent that husband's fist
pushing your cheek through your molars
(been there, trust me)
or will it?

Lets not get into the argument
by a shortsighted commenter (male)
who claimed domestic abuse
was all the fault of the victim
(“she should have left, shouldn't she?”)
or the one about blocking punches
becomes instinctive with practice.
My sensei reckons it doesn't apply
to the style we train in
where blocks are muscle memory.
We had a long discussion
by text (long for me, anyway)
and while I acknowledge he may be right
I doubt he's had his face turned inside out
by someone he thought he could trust.



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