I have the pleasure and priveledge of working with several female martial artists ranging from teens to pentagenerians. I don't know whether this will help anyone looking in at this forum, but here are some of the things we do that seem to help in addition to the curriculum.Okey dokey,
Let's get back to concrete suggestions for Norm to try out with his students.
1) Everyone gets their own, personal 'slap stick' to take home. It looks a little like a cricket bat and is made of basswood, so it's light-weight. Their homework is to spend a little time each day stiking themselves. Every couple of weeks we review some of the excercises they can do with the stick and we discuss some of their experiences and their progress. The homework gives newbies a chance to become more comfortable with toughening at their own pace and in the comfort of their own space and it gives the more experienced karateka a chance to work a bit harder than they could otherwise do with out a partner. Obviously, one doesn't absolutely need a stick - one can strike themselves and practise some of their fists, but there's something about the stick that is humourous and adds to the vitality of the conversations we have (like punch and judy slapstick??). Anyway, it lends itself to good humour and it seems to work!
2) Another eyes closed excercise we do (I mentioned one earlier in this forum) is to place a blind folded subject in the centre of a group. members of the group get a 'secret number'. When I call a number the prearranged attacker moves in with something simple (no injuries allowed!) and the subject must use their senses to respond. I think that because they cannot see the group around them it encourages them to treat everyone equally and it emphasizes the importance of correct body positioning. we review the subject's performance during and after to foster chances for improvement. And everyone has the opportunity to be the subject so it keeps them all on a level field.
I hope this helps. I think it's an important subject.