Self Defense For Women
by Elizabeth Pennell

Our Price: $374.10
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $5.78 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Book Reviews of Self Defense For Women

Book Review: Be careful
Summary: 1 Stars

Many of the positive reviews of this book remark upon its humor; I found the humor of this book to be highly inappropriate. Not that I'm a person without humor; however, it has its place. Women, especially those who've been assaulted or abused, being enabled to defend themselves is a very serious matter.

Though the techniques posited by Ms. Pennell are valid, many of them are advanced techniques that need to be learned under the supervision of a qualified instructor. Most of these techniques are not taught in my system of kara-te (Shorin Ryu Shido Kan) until after 2 - 3 years of training. I've always been skeptical of being able to learn any physical art via a book. Learning self-defense from a book is akin to learning ballet from a book. The process and mechanics of movement are simply not well taught in this manner.

I don't even know where to begin to address the inappropriateness of the author's attempt to teach weapons defense. These are specialized techniques and Ms. Pennell doesn't do nearly enough to explain that even the most skilled martial artists are likely to be injured in the even that they encounter an armed adversary. Then there's the short shrift that's given to the legal consequences to the use of force. I well grasped the author's focus upon getting home safely. However, I teach, even to my youngest students, the value of the judicious use of force and their culpability for the use of excessive force.

Finally, the format of this book clearly reads like Ms. Pennell's self-defense lecture notes. Their delivery, in the dynamics of a lecture, is very likely a better vehicle than in book format.

Self-Help Books

• Books > Subjects
• Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Abuse & Self Defense
• Education & Reference
• Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Martial Arts