By Katy Pine
Feminist Review
January 31st, 2010
While
it’s true that most conflict can and should be resolved with
nonviolence, even peace-loving radicals like Mickey Z., the author of
this alphabetical guide to self-defense, acknowledge that an absolute
aversion to violence is nearly impossible in our war-loving (yet
God-fearing) society that seems to tolerate blood-n-guts for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner.
In a country where a woman is raped every
forty-six seconds, peaceful resolution can quickly become a warm fuzzy
afterthought. The reality is that standing up for something usually
requires standing up against something. That something may be a
repressive and stubborn government, or it may be a big, scary and armed
figure looming in the dark. Either way, knowing how to use your body in
emergencies is as important as knowing how to argue for your beliefs in
the face of adversity.
Mickey does not discourage standing firm
in pacifism, but advocates that we all (especially women, who are
statistically at a greater risk of physical attack) prepare for the
worst. You may choose not to live in fear of fire, but this doesn’t mean
you forgo the fire alarm. In this vein, Mickey has armed us with a
manual of self-defense techniques cleverly written with the help of
motivating anecdotes and quirky cartoons by fellow radical, Richard
Cole. Whether it is mustering every bit of might in our bodies to scream
and run, or delivering a precise finger jab to the eyes followed by a
hard kick to the balls, Mickey supplies us with a handy bag of tricks to
use under pressure. The guy knows what he’s talking about—with a
personal history of martial arts, kickboxing and personal training—he
values equally the power of body with the power of mind.
Sprinkled with quotes from Bruce Lee, Emma Goldman, Malcolm X, and others, Mickey Z.’s Self-Defense for Radicals
makes for a quick and entertaining read for anyone conscious of the
potential danger we face. Pass it on to your mother, sister, daughter,
and anyone else whose safety you worry about. It is an empowering
statement dovetailing the greater feminist movement, however personally
defined. Mickey states that, “many physical attacks are essentially
oppressive gestures spawned by a perceived ability to exploit a weaker
(sic) gender. Any struggle to eradicate such gestures is by definition
self-defense.”
Essentially, we can conceive fighting back as
feminism in action. Whether you are a practiced veteran of the martial
arts, or a ruthless bar brawler, the fight remains the same and there is
only one winner. To dive into the essence of this provocative parallel,
start with the section “I” for individuality. Then learn and practice
tactics like the left hook, the elbow jab, and scan your surroundings to
make sure you have access to such multifaceted weapons as a broom,
scarf, pocket change, or a hot drink. And remember, “You are the weapon.
Everything else is a tool.”
