Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 28, 1993 TAG: 9302260143
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHERYL HAAS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
THAT LADYLIKE PUNCH
In today's world, violence, especially against women, has become widespread.For 14 Radford women, the answer may be a course in martial arts.
Kay McGraw, a first-degree black belt and karate teacher for 12 years, has started a beginning class three times a week for females only - an exclusive environment that lets women feel more comfortable in a predominantly male sport.
Women have not been given much opportunity to explore the martial arts, McGraw said. "Men have been studying martial arts for a long time and women have not been allowed. Men don't want them [the women] there and they beat them up [during class exercises]."
McGraw wanted to create a class where women wouldn't feel intimidated by male members. After moving to Radford eight months ago from Seattle, she decided to open the Women's Karate Union at the request of friends who discovered she was a black belt.
One participant, Sally Sevcik, said she's really happy it's a women's class. "In terms of learning how to be assertive and forceful, women have special needs that tend to be overlooked in a mixed group."
McGraw, who has a doctorate in biology, is a self-employed environmental consultant.
Once enough people had expressed an interest in a self-defense class for women, McGraw agreed to give it a try. She decided to incorporate self-defense while teaching a martial art.
Self-defense is a form of protection where anything goes. Karate, meaning empty hands, teaches a variety of moves that allow the student to adapt to various situations without the use of weapons.
Women signed up for different reasons. Most of McGraw's class members are adults; perhaps surprisingly, not one is a Radford University student.
One participant, Phyllis Turk, said she wanted to get exercise and learn self-defense. She also was interested because McGraw was "someone who has turned to teaching women." Randee Huber described the class as "exercise with a purpose. You just get more."
But Betty Johnson, a 47-year-old participant, said she long has been intrigued by self-defense and wants to learn. Johnson said she never had the opportunity to follow up on her interest until now, because this is the first year both of her children are in college.
Several said they were looking for peace of mind; they wanted to know they could protect themselves in the event of an assault.
However, it hasn't been easy.
"Most women are socialized not to yell and socialized not to fight," McGraw said. "They aren't used to yelling, hitting and being hit, but most men learned to fight from the time they were little boys."
The bias is one barrier that the women of the class had to overcome; most found it challenging and rewarding.
"It was a thrill for me when I realized I could punch somebody," Sevcik said. "The repetition [in class] makes it a lot easier." Sevcik's 13-year-old daughter, Katie, also is taking the class.
Another class member, who wanted to be identified only as Doris, said she had a hard time kicking, but has gotten used to it through repetition.
Having a female teacher makes it easier because McGraw is sensitive to her students' problems, Johnson said.
Women in the class said they already were noticing the change in themselves.
"Women are vulnerable and they don't have to be," Johnson said. "It's a shame that women are scared to go out alone.
"I have gained self-confidence," she said. "It's good to feel that you aren't so vulnerable."
McGraw added: "Every woman should be able to walk around without fear of harm, but most woman live with fear. It's better if a woman knows how to defend herself. There are no 100 percent guarantees, [but] you don't have to be a black belt to defend yourself."
She said she teaches her students to do whatever necessary to take control of a situation and get out of harm's way, but how to handle a situation is each woman's choice.