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Sports Woman of the Week!
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| Published
on Friday, 02-05-2008 |
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|
 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 Ivan 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 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 Jacobs (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
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 attract 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."
Sensei
Cooper, 4th Dan "Your keys can save your
life".
Marshalling
an art
This is a self –defense tip from karate
champion Sensei Ayana Cooper. Even if you’re now
getting involved in the martial arts, says
Sensei Cooper, women have
many things at their disposal they can use
to ward off danger.
“Your
keys, shoes, bag and purse could be used as a
weapon,” says the Trinidad and Tobago
Sensei.
She
has over 60 championship wins under her
belt, is studying towards a business degree
and has aspirations of performing in
theater. And that’s just the
beginning.
“One
of my main mottos,” says the tall, slim attractive
Sensei, “is that whatever I’m doing, no matter
what it is, I have to give my best of it.
I may not like it but if I have to do it. I
have to give a hundred percent. That's the
way I learned from my karate teacher
Professor Don Jacob."
Sensei Cooper says she believes this
attitude comes from karate, which she has
been practicing the past 20 years at Purple Dragon, run by the
legendary Professor Don Jacob.
“Karate
is not only a sport to me it’s a way of life,”
she says. “Purple Dragon is a home away
from home. It’s only positive energy
when you go there, everyone is there to support
you.”
Cooper
has never felt restricted because of her sex.
“Everyone is treated with the same respect,”
she says. “Everyone is allowed to try
everything.”
The
number of women in karate has been increasing,
Cooper says. Right now the majority
of students at the Belmont Dojo are women.
But, Cooper says, she still encounters people
with misconceptions about women in karate,
and what the sport is about.
“To
them every woman who does karate is very butch,
muscular and for lack of a better word, ugly,”
she says. “People tend to think because
you do karate you’re always ready for a fight.
People need to know its really a disciplined
sport. We don’t look for a fight.
We try to avoid a fight as much as possible.”
Sensei Cooper
has never had cause to use her skills on the street but
she feels confident that she could defend
herself. Even if you aren’t trained,
Sensei
Cooper advises that there are some simple
things you can do. For example, when
you go to a party, park your car so that you won’t
have to reverse out of the car park.
This will make a getaway easier.
Lipstick
can be used to leave marks on cars, assailants
and places, to aid in finding you, or at least
as evidence to bring perpetrators to justice.
But
formal instruction at a Purple Dragon
any School always helps. “I would
advise everyone, women and man, to get involved in
self defense in some way,” says the Champion
Cooper.
AYANNA
COOPER STATS:
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1998
Won Sport Karate International World Championships
in Savannah, Georgia
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1999
Won Sport Karate International Championships
in Niagara Falls
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1999
Won sparring division of the National
Black Belt League Super Grand World Games
in Niagara Falls
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2000
Won six gold two silver medals in Martial
Arts World Games in Melbourne, Australia
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2000
Won Sport Karate International World Championships
in Savannah Georgia
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2001
Won Women’s Division at National Championship
in San Antonio, Texas, defeated 13-time
world champion Regina Thompson
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Featured
4 times in the US Magazine Sport Karate
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2003
South Central Grand Champion
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2004
Combine forces Grand Champion
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2005 U.S. Open Heavy weight women
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