 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
|
||||
For decades, Turkish women have had the right to vote, access to education, the right to divorce. Turks even elected a female prime minister in 1993. But there is still a long ways to go. A recent report by Amnesty International estimated that a third of Turkish women are victims of domestic violence. A prominent Turkish Islamic scholar, Fethullah Gülen, recently advised women to study the martial arts: “I wish women would take karate, taekwondo or judo courses,” said Gülen. “If he hits once, she should hit him twice.” We believe that a woman properly trained in the martial arts will be better equipped to deter violence and defuse conflict even before it comes to this stage. But what opportunities exist in Turkey for women to learn a martial art, and what happens to them when they try?
Few women in Turkey participate in sports. Only 65,948 women are listed on the roles of Turkey’s official sporting federations. Athletics are still largely viewed as a male domain. The idea of a woman boxing, doing judo, Tae-kwon-do or kung-fu tends to attract reactions ranging from sarcasm to disbelief. Martial arts gyms in Istanbul often accept women students in principle, but don’t, for example, have a separate women’s bathroom. A woman who joins a local boxing gym might very well find herself the only woman in the class.
INTELLIGENT DEFENSE wants to change this. We are committed to teaching martial arts to women in a safe, respectful environment, and we are seeking to raise the profile of the martial arts among women in Turkey. We are particularly interested in promoting the martial arts as a tool for the prevention of domestic violence and the enhancement of women’s self-esteem, well-being and health. We are therefore offering three full-tuition scholarships to dedicated women whose economic circumstances would not otherwise permit them to study with us. Female applicants — of any age, fitness level or background — are invited to send us a letter of introduction explaining why they wish to be considered for these scholarships. Candidates will be chosen, after an interview, on the basis of the sincerity of their interest and commitment.
Our classes are co-educational, and women will be expected to train with men. We believe that co-education is pedagogically necessary: unless women practice with men, they cannot acquire the mindset, skills and confidence to defend themselves against the most likely aggressors — who are statistically overwhelmingly likely to be men. Although this environment may at first feel unusual to women who are not accustomed to it, we guarantee that it is respectful and welcoming.
We particularly encourage women who would like to learn more about our teaching environment to contact the outstanding female martial artists we have taught in Turkey. They would be more than happy to share their experiences with other women.
Hanshi Teddy Wilson
teddywilson8@gmail.com
+90 533 326 66 08
Sensei Deniz Tezcan
a_deniz_tezcan@yahoo.com
+90 532 472 66 74
Claire Berlinski
claire@berlinski.com
+90 539 592 13 04
Sihing Egemen Baranok
sihingegemen@ebmas-eb.net
+90 537 417 66 66