Women's Only Courses Inquiry

[bratgirllcp]

Men and women communicate in very different ways and to be able to open up to training, some women are far more comfortable in women only classes, especially if they are being taught by women. I believe from talks with my wife, her sisters and many female coworkers that it is not if it is necessary to you to offer them, it is necessary for some women feel comfortable enough to get their training. It doesn't matter if your classes are mostly women if the majority of women don't feel don't feel comfortable getting any training. The number of people, men and women, who seek out training is the minority and to base your thoughts solely on that minority and not on the people that you could be reaching by offering these classes is where Tom and James are correct in their responses.

Amen!
My hubby knows alot about guns but a class with all women Id go to
but one thing gets me when a woman sees a handgun and says ohhhhh thats cute! I wanna smack her (cute & guns dont go together) they are not puppies or babies!!!!

 

[FatMuscle]

With the thread getting off to a bumpy start, which was my fault, I have received some great feedback.
I have added a Women Only class to start and will be looking for a female instructor to complement the classes.
We all have very busy schedules and I was trying to make the best use of my class offerings. However, I would not be doing the best service to the community if I limited my classes to "open" or "coed".
Thanks to all who opined, it helps me to have these comments as I try to designate more class dates.
And again thanks James for your added input.

 

[stu929]

I think a lot of times it intimidation by being around others who may have a different skill level or proficiency. The gym I'm a member of has a Womens only section. Kinda strange to me as everyone is there for the same reason but if eliminating the Womens only section means attendance has a chance of falling then it certainly makes business sense.

As for teaching a SO I understand. I am a trainer within my company its what i do for a living, no its not in the area of firearms but when I tried to help my wife it was difficult to say the least. I think in many cases it changes the dynamic with which you talk to someone spouse/pupil and sometimes that can cause interference. Which of course is them magnified by the fact that you need to ride home together and eventually will be sleeping in the same bed.

I'm sure there is a place for female instructors but I honestly doubt you would have to go that far. Sometimes I think its merely being around other people in a similar circumstance that helps the situation to be less intimidating. (Fem wanting to learn to shoot). For my wife who always played sports and Co-Ed sports she just wanted to make sure she was around others of the same skill level. (She's very competitive!)

 

[stu929]

Amen!
My hubby knows alot about guns but a class with all women Id go to
but one thing gets me when a woman sees a handgun and says ohhhhh thats cute! I wanna smack her (cute & guns dont go together) they are not puppies or babies!!!!

LMAO very true...

My wife has told me some pistols or rifles are sexy though!

 

[ProShooter]

As for teaching a SO I understand. I am a trainer within my company its what i do for a living, no its not in the area of firearms but when I tried to help my wife it was difficult to say the least.

One of the unwritten rules about guns and firearms training is that husbands and wives should never instruct each other.

I'm sure there is a place for female instructors but I honestly doubt you would have to go that far. Sometimes I think its merely being around other people in a similar circumstance that helps the situation to be less intimidating.

Agreed. The only issues that I run into are when the ladies start discussing bra holsters and carrying in your purse...LOL! For that reason alone, I'd like to have a competent, experienced female instructor.

 

[rustyrustic]

FatMuscle, glad to hear you nip that in the bud. My pistol instructor did something similar, even though half the class were women. In a very friendly, non-confrontational way, he mentioned he preferred instructing women, that they actually listened, generally didn't have an attitude and learned faster. I don't know if that was his standard disclaimer to make the women feel better or if he had overheard one of the guys before class say something stupid before class. As it turned out, none of the guys in that class had an attitude about women shooters and everyone had a lot of fun.

 

[hodgepodge]

Some time after school is out, I will be looking for a class for the 18-year-old daughter. I will definitely be looking for a class/instructor that is oriented towards women. She will be more comfortable. And she has indicated this is domething she wants to learn, just not from me.

 

[ProShooter]

...... he mentioned he preferred instructing women, that they actually listened, generally didn't have an attitude and learned faster.

I have found the exact same thing to be very true....especially in a class involving live fire.

 

[stu929swife]

I know you have had lots of comments but I'll throw my opinion out there.

I am a woman who has very HIGH expectations of herself. I am also a woman with a hubby who knows a lot and is VERY comfortable with guns.
and I WANT TO BE THAT TOO...

I am more likely to sign up for a women's only class than a mixed class so that I am not as uber concerned with where my skill level falls.

I'm not saying that I won't be self conscious, but maybe there is a preconceived notion that women will be more accepting if I ask a "dumb" question or don't cycle the action correctly my first time...

Like I said, I put HIGH expectations on myself, and being in a room with only women might be more comfortable and I will learn better during the class.

Hope that helps.

 

[Domino]

I like the idea of woman only classes and don't care if the instructor is male or female as long as they are NRA certified. As a new shooter any basic instruction would be great but needs to have competitive pricing.

 

[LadyAR]

Some women do care about the gender, so that they will be comfortable. It's just the same in gym class.

 

[eddiek2000]

Hey bud, just saw this thread. Can't say I read every response, but I'm gonna give you my input as I would any other time.

Most women like a women dominated class. BUT they also like their boyfriends/husbands/SOs to be included too. They want to learn, be comfortable, AND have a good/safe time, especially with people they know. I don't think the instructor's sex(male or female) is as important as the instructor knowing the material and being able to express it to the student in a way they will absorb and learn. The extremely timid/shy/??? are the ones who really benefit from an "only WHATEVER" class and should be able to find that kind of instruction. But at that point, they may really prefer one-on-one instruction.

Just my thoughts...E

 

[ASTC]

As someone who is actively seeking training right now, I don't care if it's a man or woman doing the training.

I care about the attitude of the instructor and their ability to present the material at the level I need.

You are correct. If they know what they are doing, it doesn't matter if it is a male or female.