The More Martial Arts Women Online, The Merrier

When I began my martial art woman mission seven years ago on social media, there were only a few other martial art inspiring women online with me. It is understandable. Most of the martial art social media venues and groups online were still mostly men, and in all honesty, there were some difficult ones who were unforgiving or even condemning. You had to have really tough skin to stick it out when criticized about your form, the angle of your foot when you kick, what you wear, your style, your femininity, your experience, blah, blah, blah. I was targeted at times for my opinions, disliked for my positivity and for taking martial arts out of the dojo and into the mindset.

No, I'm not against men martial artists at all, just the online keyboard warrior ones. I trained all my life with men and have never worked with one I didn't like! My husband is a martial artist and we taught for years together. I've had men martial art students, peers, and instructors. They couldn't hide behind a wall like keyboard warriors but they didn't need to. They were on your side and believed in you.

On social media, the keyboard warriors get through and they get to you after a while and make you question yourself and why you try so hard to make an impact in an already difficult world, just to receive unwanted criticism, comments, and behaviors. Respect can be hard to come by in social media, and yes, especially for women.

Why especially for women? Men don't deal as much with online sexual innuendos, ridiculous messages about foot fetishes, and are not as often incorrectly represented, like martial art women depicted in pictures with rock hard abs wearing bikinis and kicking straight up into the sky. No, we don't usually look like that. And, yea, we're a lot more than that. A lot more. The online world is cruel and that's why it is important to surround yourself with the right people.

I'm glad that in the past six or seven years I have made my way into the hearts of many who recognize that we each have a responsibility to make the world a better place. We can only truly do that when both men and women martial artists are able to share their thoughts, experience and talents together and by supporting each other.

My point today is this. I'm so happy to see more women posting about their martial art experiences and their lives on social media. While we train alongside the men, to me, there is and always will be differences between the two, men and women martial artists. Not wrong or right, nor is one better than the other. Just different.

Unfortunately, there is no stopping the person behind a keyboard who posts unnecessary criticisms or harasses women simply because they are bored and have nothing else to do. Of course, they are the opposites of a "warrior" in all respects, but in their own minds they are warriors of one, relentless, cruel, and contentious. Thankfully, we're able to disregard, block, and delete them, although they always seem to learn to get through. Like all good things, challenges exist, even in martial arts. The bottom line is, don't let it stop you from being you.

To all the martial art woman out there online, it's great to see you. Keep expressing yourself, your training, and how you are changing the world because of it.

xoxo

Andrea

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Pick up my motivational books and stay inspired!

The Martial Arts Woman https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman-Motivational-Stories/dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone

https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations-Everyone-Andrea-Harkins/dp/150297830X