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Purple Dragon World
Headquarters

151 Eastern Main Road,
Barataria, Trinidad.
West Indies
Phone: 868-675-1688/
623-7203
Email:

donjitsuryu@glail.com

prof@wow.net


Hot Tips and Topics for Women

Welcome to the Purple Dragon Women's section. Here you can find inspirational stories on ladies just like you, tips on self defense and articles sure to pique your interest.

Self Defense  Tips For Women Bellow!

Recent grading in Chaguanas Trinidad 

Dear Professor,
A pleasant good day to you. Please allow me to express my heartfelt thanks on last night's grading. Though it was a bit of a painful experience, it was thoroughly enjoyed.
I sustained a knee injury on the floor on Wednesday morning at a special session organized by Sensei Wendell for those who were interested. It was great but at the end as fate would have it I twisted my knee to the horror of all those present.

Instructor Jesse and Sans Taylor looked after me and advised that I get a knee band and some medication, as the vision of not grading flashed before me I felt that all this sweat was wasted. However the words "No pain, no gain" kept ringing in my mind as I taught in school during the day. At 4 o'clock I went to Sensei for him to have a look at the knee.

At that point he said it was up to me. I made the decision there and then to be on the floor that evening. When Shihan Thompson explained that we were to do ten push ups, sparring and two techniques I prayed not to get 4 or 7 as they both involved, being on my injured knee……as fate would have it what did I get? You guessed 4 and 7.

Sensei kept encouraging me and at the same time asking if I was okay to continue. I persevered but I must say when I heard you enquiring if I was alright and then give the advice that I should stretch out my leg on completion of my exercise I felt the lioness within me soar to unknown heights. Propelling me to such a level that I truly believed I could conquer any task put before me.

I also enjoyed the talk. Quite funny at times, serious and inspiring overall.

I once again say thank you for the Purple Dragon Family. Have a blessed day and all the best to the students in Tobago especially those over thirty-fivers.

Your grateful student
Uklyn Ferguson
 From San Fernando branch

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Strong Purple Dragon Moms!


The Purple Dragon students in the photos are all proud mothers, are all seniors from the, USA, Canada, Cayman Islands, the U.K, and Trinidad and Tobago. They all came together and successfully competed at the recent Cayman Islands Grand Slam Tournament. New mommies are invited to join the team and have your kids shout" Go mommy go" see you soon as one of our newest members. Remember 2010 in Trinidad more moms and plenty fun in the sun.

 

Sports Woman of the Week!

 

Published on Friday, 02-05-2008  
 
 

Erin Hislop

The Sportsperson of the Week is 17-year old Erin Hislop, a member of the Purple Dragon dojo here in Cayman; she recently earned her black belt under the Don-Jitsu Ryu system of martial arts.

Her father and coach, Sensei Geddes Hislop, a senior instructor at the Cayman Purple Dragon dojo, introduced his daughter to the sport at age 5. She says she didn’t like it at first, “but after Hurricane Ivan in 1995, I got back into it.”

Gymnastics was her first love, and she did get involved in football and squash. “I think gymnastics helped me with karate because of the flexibility and balance.”

Currently a sixth-form student at Cayman Prep & High School taking A levels, she says the classes are hard but she  is enjoying it. “I will only do a year then find a job in the field of my major, marketing.” With her degree she looks to get into event management, inspired by her work at Celebrations.

When asked about the people she has met along the way from her experience in karate, she says, “Professor Don Jacob (an old friend of her father’s) is the most inspirational speaker I have ever met.”

She has a younger brother, Justin, who is working towards his jet black belt.

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Self Defense Tips For Women

Sensei Rosemarie Thomas- 4th Dan Black Belt

Article courtesy the Trinidad Express
written by Erline Andrews

Rosemarie Thomas is a lean, mean, fighting machine, feared by men. No, actually Sensei Rosemarie Thomas is a sweet, patient instructor. She operates her Purple Dragon Dojo in our sister isle, Tobago, the hot tourist spot that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. She's well-respected and loved by her students. But don't forget the first part.

 

Even when she's just demonstrating it's intimidating to be at the receiving end of those fists.

 

Sensei Rosemarie Thomas is also an example of the roles women can-and must-inhabit today. The news is saturated with reports of murders and kidnappings, and women still face the age-old threat of physical abuse, harassment and rape.

But being a member of the "fairer sex" doesn't have to mean being vulnerable.

 

"The crime situation is definitely giving people the incentive to get up and do something," says Thomas, seated on a steel chair among the exercise equipment in Purple Dragon's gym. There are muffled grunts and yells from a class in the next room. "A lot of women are taking responsibility for their own protection."
 

Sensei Rosemarie Thomas joined Purple Dragon over 16 years ago when, in her final year at the University of the West Indies, (U.W.I.), she was shaken by an experience.

"Walking on campus one night," she says, "I was followed by three guys who started to make intimidating comments. I still remember the anger and helplessness I felt. I wanted to do something. I went home that night and looked through the Yellow Pages and found Purple Dragon."

She has traveled to India, Nepal, Africa, Dubai, England, Venezuela and many other countries conducting seminars for Purple Dragon International, motivating women in the martial arts and representing Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Sensei Rosemarie Thomas got her first degree black belt two and a half years after joining the dojo, one of the top in the world. After 16 years she is now a Fourth Degree Black Belt. There are also three other Fourth Degree Women Black Belts in Purple Dragon, Sensei Nicole Thomas and Sensei Ayana Cooper and Sensei Clara Montoute.

 

In her time at the dojo, Sensei Rosemarie Thomas has seen the number of female students rise. They now form half of many classes. Kick-boxing is particularly popular among women. With Kick-Fit Boxing, you can, literally, gain a leg-up in confrontations with men.

"Martial arts," Sensei Rosemarie Thomas says, "gives you a level playing field."

 

But if you can't see yourself becoming the next Bruce Lee or, more contemporarily and appropriate for these pages, Uma Thurman, don't worry.

"It doesn't matter how old someone is or what size they are," says Sensei Rosemarie Thomas, "everyone can do something to defend themselves. There are very simple techniques they can use."

 

You can fall into a self-defense class.

"The reason self-defense is such a good thing is because you can learn kicks that go with your body structure. Not everybody could kick somebody in the head, but you could kick somebody in the groin, you could do a low side kick to the knee, you could do a finger stab to the eye. It takes confidence."

 

And for women, gaining confidence is often the hardest part.

They can be shackled by self-perceived limitations, says Sensei Thomas.

"Women are socialized to be quiet and lady-like and not make too much of fuss. That's changing, but it still persists, and those are things we have to overcome if we are to survive."

 

A woman who takes some self-defense or martial arts training might actually be surprised by how strong she is.

"When you start teaching a woman some basic punches, she starts off kind of weak," says Sensei Thomas. "But as time goes on you'll see her confidence grow and...look out!"

What some women think is a disadvantage-their size in relation to men-can actually work in their favor.

 

"Because women are perceived by many men to be vulnerable or easily intimidated, a woman trained in self-defense has an element of surprise. They don't expect you to fight back. The attacker is caught off-guard."

But prevention is better than cure.

 

Sensei Thomas urges women not be caught off-guard, particularly during Carnival, a time when alcohol and "good vibes" can cause you to behave in more risky ways. It's also a time when crime, including violence towards women, escalates. Thomas advises women to move in groups of five and be alert. It is also necessary to limit your intake of alcohol.

 

"Use your discretion," says Thomas. "One night of fun is not worth a lifetime of pain, or even your life."

 

 


Click for more on women

 

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