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gender, childhood, patriarchy
When I teach martial arts to school-aged children, I love giving them a place where they're expected to yell and hit. But even by kindergarten, many girls have been taught that they must never yell, and they don't want to. It's a little heartbreaking that they've been silenced so effectively already. But it's also hugely rewarding to work with them over time, until they are eager to YELL, hit, kick, and defend their bodies.
