This being the land of kung-fu, I should think it would be quite easy to find classes on basic self defence. I'm not interested in becoming an shoalin temple style monk, but I would like some tips on how to protect oneself in the unlikely event of a violent confrontation. Does anyone know of classes open to males and females?
Speaking generally, I find life in Hefei to be safe and pleasant. But even here, I have been on the recieving end of behavior that went beyond the usual teasing a foreigner quickly gets accustomed to and was downright provocative. The culprits are usually small groups of boys/young men who would probably be too cowardly to act individually. I am sure we all know stories of young, local women being slyly cursed and insulted in public for doing no more than being in the company of their foreign work colleagues. My experience is that if you ignore this behavior it generally goes away. If you react, though, you are really taking you chances and the odds will probably be against you. My own compromise is that I don't hold my girlfriend's hand in public when too far outside my campus, simply to reduce any potential for harrassment.
Although most societies will have, to more or less extent, a controlling/protective/posessive attitude towards their women, I find it in China (outside of the major cities) to be stronger than in any other country I have ever lived in. To bring this back to my original question, what happens when you're on the road, away from your network in Hefei, and some bully won't on any account stand down. I think you should at least have one or two moves.
