Ladies and High Heel Shoes

[Sihing73]

Hello,

I had a visit from a woman and her daughter who were interested in training and learning Wing Chun. The emphasis at our school is on application and she wanted something which would be realistic in its approach.

Anyhow she liked the class and is supposed to join on Monday. However she did ask an interesting question and that was could she ever use WC while wearing high heeled shoes. She somtimes likes to go out to dinner and dress up and was curious if she could translate any of the footwork over to high heels.

While I mentioned that high heels already disrupt proper body structure and put the body in an unnatural position, the idea of being able to fight in high heels intrigues me. I mean if WC is able to be applied in real life situations, can a woman fight in high heels? What would be some of the attributes she would need to develope?

Since I have no experience in wearing, much less fighting, while wearing high heels I decided to inquire of our female participants to obtain any suggestions or thoughts? Of course to be politically correct in todays socciety I am also open to suggestions from our male members who have some experience to share :D

I eagerly await your reponses and suggestions.

Peace,

Dave

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

had ex with penchant for heels. Though the heels do disrupt their balance, I think more to the point, is that those heels typically come wih restrictive lower half clothing . AS long as she can stand and move easily from foot to foot at various heights, and has a skirt or pants that allow a full range of movement at any height, there shouldn't be a problem. ;)

[captain]

i once knew of a 'man' woman named candice,who was 6 feet five in his,er,her high heeled shoes and moved like the wind.amazing balance.coupled with the fact that her,er his,er her cabarat used many moves from the martial arts,it was quite a sight.

Russ

[captain]

.....not that i'm a regular audience member of alternative theatre....you understand......

[Stevo]

Originally posted by Sihing73
Hello,

...can a woman fight in high heels? What would be some of the attributes she would need to develope?...



The ability to kick them off quickly and fight without them. Or hold onto one of them and use it as a weapon.

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

Stevo,

Good question, It is a big disadvantage to be weaing high heel shoes in a fight. Also it is to fight without shoes on.

Although you can perform dance moves with high heels with balance, fighting in them is a totally different story - because you have an un-cooperative "dance partner" so to speak.

[Ming Yue]

Stevo is right. Get 'em off.

I worked in a corporate environment for a time and spent a fair amount of time in heels. You can become quite comfortable in them but they pretty much negate any quick lateral movements - crucial footwork to fighting.

There's situations where I'll choose my clothes carefully. If I know I'll be walking a ways alone in a city at night, I'll probably not choose stiletto heels.

you might recommend she carry something to disable or delay an attacker, so she can get those shoes off and get away.

[couch]

Don't step back from the attacker. :)

That's crazy. I remember at one of my past kenpo schools we had to dress in street clothes for some classes. I came in wearing track pants. :) Other people came in jeans and couldn't kick anymore. Laf.

Oh, well. I guess I better go get myself a pair of pumps to practise in.

"She's a lady...."

Peace,
Couch

[SevenStar]

when I envision women fighting in heels, I picture two things - broken shoes and sprained ankles. I read an article years ago where june castro advocated kicking to the eyes groin and solar plexus with the heels. Realistically though, I don't think it would work too well. like I said, broken shoes and sprained ankles.

[Ming Yue]

...and a broken tailbone from landing on your ass after trying to spike someone in the eye.

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

agreed! Feiyue or nike where ever possible!!

[SevenStar]

I would hope so, considering you're supposed to be male...

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

Sevenstar,

sometimes I try to get in touch with my femanine side.

[Sihing73]

Hello,

Thank you for the responses so far, all have been helpful. Although the one about the "cabarat" by captain opens the door for many more questions ;)

While I agree with the idea of removing the heels, I would still like to explore any "realisitc" methods of fighting while the heels are on the feet. Granted it is the less desirible position but I hate to tell someone that if they are attacked by surprise they are out of luck. Perhaps we could discuss a safe reactive method which would give time for the removal of the heels??????

Again I am curious about the attributes needed to be successful.

Peace,

Dave

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

Sihing73,

In a fight, you might not have time to remove the high heels. Something to think about.

[yellowpikachu]

Originally posted by Sihing73
[B]

Anyhow she liked the class and is supposed to join on Monday. However she did ask an interesting question and that was could she ever use WC while wearing high heeled shoes. She somtimes likes to go out to dinner and dress up and was curious if she could translate any of the footwork over to high heels.

B]


sure, why not?

tell them those Chinese lady in ancient Yim Wing Chun time were having thier feet wrap. WCK works.

and she has a choice of take the shoe off. if she want to be even better:D

[Ego_Extrodinaire]

she won't always have the opportunity to remove the shoe and if the chick was a fighter or any type of maer, especially with any experience, she'd likely consider her personal boundaries and skills on it while dressing.

[AmanuJRY]

Try doing a whole class standing on your toes (or balls of the foot, actually). Forms, drills, sparring...everything. See how it goes.

[old jong]

We never really know when the ladies might get carried away during lunch times! (http://www.janwright.co.uk/chis/image153.jpg) ... These things happens you know! ;)

[captain]

what about wellington boots,snowboots and an evening gown [none formal] ?

Russ

[Ming Yue]

I personally wouldn't wear snowboots with an evening gown, but you might be able to pull it off.

;)

[t_niehoff]

Oh, lord! Just when I think we've hit bottom and it couldn't get any sillier, I see threads like this.

[old jong]

Sticking your head out of the water?...

[Mr Punch]

Cynthia Rothrock would choke all of you out!

:D

[Mr Punch]

Originally posted by t_niehoff
Oh, lord! Just when I think we've hit bottom and it couldn't get any sillier, I see threads like this. I think the initial question was valid.

Of course my answer would be, "No". But a lot of women who wear high heels would want to know I'd imagine, and although my advice would always be, "Don't wear high heels," the very fact that high heels are sometimes seen to be ****tish and that they restrict movement make women who wear them a potentially higher percentage target in random violence, making the question even more relevant.

[AmanuJRY]

Originally posted by old jong
Sticking your head out of the water?...

Me thinks it's hard to swim in high heels.;)

[captain]

ming yue,judging from your picture,im certain you could get away with both snowboots and the informal gound.

terence,is there 'something' you wish to 'share' with us all?

Russ.

[Ming Yue]

thanks cap.

that answers the question of what to wear to work.

:cool:

[SevenStar]

when did you post a pic, MY?

[Ming Yue]

Nothing here recently... There's some on my website though, I think that's what he saw.

[tallazngrrrl]

i have learned some boxing before, but the distance of our heels off the ground was nothing compared to wearing 3" heels! i agree that it is a matter of circumstance and common sense, don't walk around in dangerous places with stiletto heels! heels are bad for your back, anyway :P

as for yellowpikachu's assertation of the women in yim wing chun's time having bound feet-- i believe that was a manchurian custom, and i imagine an anti-qing revolutionary or a buddhist nun would go about getting their feet bound!

[yellowpikachu]

Originally posted by tallazngrrrl


as for yellowpikachu's assertation of the women in yim wing chun's time having bound feet-- i believe that was a manchurian custom, and i imagine an anti-qing revolutionary or a buddhist nun would go about getting their feet bound!



Nope, totally opposite, the Manchurian empress and emperors of are the one wanted to get rid of this bad custom. the Manchurian were people who ride horse and have strong physical without feet bound before pick up this Chinese tradition.


"In the Qing period, opposition began to emerge, although it was both belated and weak. The Qing ruling nobility, who were ethnically Manchu, attempted to prohibit the custom among the conquered Han Chinese. In 1645, the first Shunzhi emperor mandated that footbinding be banned, but his successor, the Kangxi emperor, revoked the ban, apparently deciding that the practice was too firmly rooted in custom to be amenable to imperial dissolution.[32]"

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/studpages/vento.html



The Chinese, the Ming Dynasty chinese practiced the feed bond.
and if my history memory serve, even the so called great scholar Chu Shi was told to backing this chinese tradition.

There is a southern shao lin ground figthing system which is a female art pioner by Buddist nun. this art indeed address their art is design to usethe disadvantages of lady's feet bound that cause lady to trip and fall more easy. Thus, they develop ground fighting technics.

[captain]

my,
i took a look at your 3d images.i use graphics like that in my powerponts lessons.

Russ.

[captain]

..powerpoints..