Feminist Self-Defense Classes

In the Ann Cahill’s piece she mentions feminist self-defense classes and that brought me to wonder what exactly a feminist self-defense class would entail. Would the instructor be reading MacKinnon and Lorde while you learn how to throw a devastating punch? Or would it be more like postfeminist empowerment of your body? Cahill goes on to describe what feminist self-defense classes would entail explaining that the classes would offer a “different way of living one’s body” (367), a way to contradict rape myths that say “the feminine body, in contrast to the masculine body, is inherently rapable; that women are justifiably required to manage the treat that their bodies call upon them; that rape is just out there, part of the natural order of things” (369), and a way to “to denaturalize the threat of sexual violence, to describe it as deeply pervasive but deeply unnecessary element of many women’s experience” (370).  In general, feminist self-defense classes seek to change what rape means.

            I did a quick Google search for feminist self-defense classes in Edmonton and found a few that not only taught hands-on defense training but also awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and avoidance. [I also found an article from A Voice for Men about a men’s self-defense program that was under the “Feminist Corruption” category]. However, I was bothered by the inclusion of risk reduction and avoidance in these programs. I am, in general, skeptical about self-defense classes because they place the onus on the individuals attending the classes to stop any attacks and risk reduction and avoidance only adds to my skepticism.
           Cahill’s description of feminist self-defense classes seemed to be lacking a good structure of what they would really look like. It seemed more so like what these classes would look like in theory. Cahill does bring up the idea of collective resistance targeting sexual violence which I am whole-heartedly in support of: “the possibility of both individual and collective resistance, the total effect is to render sexual violence as, in a word, targetable” (371). While bits and pieces of Cahill’s feminist self-defense are good, I am unconvinced of the utility of self-defense classes.