I have been training with Feminist Karate Union for a little over a year now. Wow! What a great group of women. I wasn't sure if karate was for me - I had done kickboxing and regular boxing before and found it especially challenging when I was sparring - very intimidating and difficult for me. I am not the most physically coordinated person in the world - actually I spend a lot of time in my head, which made this sort of physical activity challenging (I preferred exercises where nobody was watching me like biking, running, or hiking).
The senseis at the dojo had lots of patience with me when I was first learning. Everyone was very welcoming, and let me work at my own pace. I have to say I really enjoy working with just women -men approach karate differently, and I think I would have been too intimidated to continue past a certain point (as I found with kickboxing). I appreciate how much thinking goes on in karate - move your knee forward there, keep that foot tilted there, but also how much muscle memory is involved. I also appreciate that you never stop learning in karate. The classes at the dojo are taught by brown and black belts, and they vary every day so that each time I am learning something new and concentrating on something new, even in 104 degree heat like this summer.
This school has helped build my confidence, challenged me, provided me a good workout, and given me a great group of women colleagues and friends who challenge me to be my best. They also teach kids classes (boys can sign up too). I definitely recommend the school for any woman who is ready to be strong.
Pros: Wonderful teachers, learning karate in a non-threatening env
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