Women

Martial Arts for Women

Martial Arts for Women at Delaware Judo & Ju-Jitsu Association

We’ve worked with a lot of great female martial artists over the years. But for a lot of women, the concern about going into an unfamiliar dojo can be significant. We’ve listened, and some of the issues women have mentioned to us are things like:

“Will I be able to do martial arts?”

“Is your dojo full of macho men?”

Or sometimes just really simple questions like:

“Will I be welcomed by the other students?”

Or “Is your dojo a clean, welcoming place?”

Many of the women who joined us started out with these worries or other concerns about taking up martial arts. Our guess is that it would be helpful if you could stop in and watch a martial arts class without being pressured so you could make sure the environment is safe and welcoming to women.

Would it also be helpful if you knew that we’ve had girls as young as six years old and women as old as 21 years old train successfully at our dojo. We’re always trying to be better at creating a tough but reasonable environment that helps both men and women to achieve their martial arts goals, and we’d be very interested in learning what concerns you about starting out in the martial arts.

You’ve probably heard about all the benefits of a good martial arts program: greater confidence, improved mental focus, an understanding of some aspects of other cultures, and the ability to defend yourself. Wouldn’t you like to experience the relaxed confidence of someone whose physical and mental balance functions at a very high level, who sweats with confidence and joy while building expert skills, and who can move with power and grace?

The Mastery Process - Women in the Martial Arts

Our entire curriculum is centered on the mastery process. We are interested in the development of all our students, and since each person comes to us with a different range of abilities, there’s no “one size fits all” approach at DJJA. We pay attention to what you do well, assist you at improving those aspects you find more difficult, and offer guidance about what you can outside the dojo to improve your mental and physical fitness. We don’t tolerate bullying among our students, and our mission is to create an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and development. Our standards are high, but we’re here to help you achieve them!

You start out at DJJA by watching a class. If the training looks like something you might like to try, then you can arrange to take an intro lesson, with no cost or obligation. In those lessons, we’ll teach you some basic etiquette of the Japanese martial arts, as well as a few of the fundamental of the martial art you’ve chosen. After you’ve completed the lesson, we’ll explain what it takes to get started. There will be no pressure - we want students at DJJA who truly want to be here and who are seriously interested in self-improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

As a woman, do I have to get in shape before I start? No! Our program is gradual, so you’ll build fitness as you make progress through the ranks. As you learn more and more, you’ll have opportunities to come to more classes and to train harder. We also make available opportunities to train outside regular classes. The key is to start – you’ll get in shape over time!

Is there a glass ceiling in the martial arts?

Not at DJJA! We promote on the basis of accomplishment and positive attitude. As we mentioned above, we’ve had some very significant female students over the years. Come in, train hard and with joy, and be a cooperative member of our martial arts community and you’ll go far!

Will I get locked into a long contract when I start? No! After your intro lesson, we’ll ask you to sign up for a membership. The membership is month to month. The month to month period gives you time to make sure training at DJJA is what you’re hoping for. It also gives us a chance to assess you and let you know whether our program will be a good fit for you.

The First Step

If you think you might like to get involved in martial arts, we’d love to have you watch a class. Call us at (302)753-2144 to arrange a time to visit or get your questions answered. If you’re more comfortable with email, you can reach us at delawarejudo.net. We’d be happy to help you decide whether martial arts at DJJA make sense for you