Mujer Segura No Compite
During one visit, Lorraine DiAnne Sensei told us the following story.
Someone asked her what her profession was. "Martial arts teacher," she said.
That person seemed very surprised.
"Martial arts teacher? Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"But you are a woman."
"So? Who says a woman cannot teach martial arts?"
Embarrassed, that person said, "You don't look like it."
"Oh. What does a martial arts teacher look like?"
That person became speechless.
Lorraine is one of my favorite Aikido sempais (someone senior to oneself). She is technically very sharp. She is a great teacher. She is fearless. Plus, she is a very straightforward, fair and funny person. She is friendly and treats people equally nicely even if you are a beginner and she is a shihan. She is a trailblazer in the Aikido world. She sets a great example for Aikido practitioners, particularly Aikido women.
Lorraine is taller, bigger and much more muscular than me. If people could question her about her status as an Aikido instructor, guess what people might think when they look at me . . .
Every time I led the first class for the night, I opened the dojo. One evening, a female student I did not know came in after me. I said hi. No reply. She did not even look at me.
We changed together in the women's room without a word. I went upstairs to get the place ready and to do some stretches. The student walked in and putzed around. All done in such a way as if she could not see me. I left her alone.
More and more people arrived. We said hi and chatted. The woman student promptly greeted her male sempais -- my kohais (someone junior to oneself). When it was class time, I clapped my hands two times. People sat down to form a line. I went up to sit in front of shomen. Together, we bowed to O Sensei. I turned around; we bowed to each other.
As always, people sat up to look at each other in the face before getting up for warmups. Unlike everybody else, however, the woman student continued to hang her head low . . .
For the longest time, women fight to get the same recognition that is given to men for our abilities and talents. I can understand it when men, based on stereotype, think women are not as strong as they are, and, thus, do not believe we can do what they can. However, when women themselves hold on to the same stereotype and choose to discriminate against women, it is a terminal case. It is our own doing. Nobody else can help us.
Someone asked her what her profession was. "Martial arts teacher," she said.
That person seemed very surprised.
"Martial arts teacher? Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"But you are a woman."
"So? Who says a woman cannot teach martial arts?"
Embarrassed, that person said, "You don't look like it."
"Oh. What does a martial arts teacher look like?"
That person became speechless.
Lorraine is one of my favorite Aikido sempais (someone senior to oneself). She is technically very sharp. She is a great teacher. She is fearless. Plus, she is a very straightforward, fair and funny person. She is friendly and treats people equally nicely even if you are a beginner and she is a shihan. She is a trailblazer in the Aikido world. She sets a great example for Aikido practitioners, particularly Aikido women.
Lorraine is taller, bigger and much more muscular than me. If people could question her about her status as an Aikido instructor, guess what people might think when they look at me . . .
Every time I led the first class for the night, I opened the dojo. One evening, a female student I did not know came in after me. I said hi. No reply. She did not even look at me.
We changed together in the women's room without a word. I went upstairs to get the place ready and to do some stretches. The student walked in and putzed around. All done in such a way as if she could not see me. I left her alone.
More and more people arrived. We said hi and chatted. The woman student promptly greeted her male sempais -- my kohais (someone junior to oneself). When it was class time, I clapped my hands two times. People sat down to form a line. I went up to sit in front of shomen. Together, we bowed to O Sensei. I turned around; we bowed to each other.
As always, people sat up to look at each other in the face before getting up for warmups. Unlike everybody else, however, the woman student continued to hang her head low . . .
For the longest time, women fight to get the same recognition that is given to men for our abilities and talents. I can understand it when men, based on stereotype, think women are not as strong as they are, and, thus, do not believe we can do what they can. However, when women themselves hold on to the same stereotype and choose to discriminate against women, it is a terminal case. It is our own doing. Nobody else can help us.
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