respect for women fighters

VooDooQueen · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 93 Location: colorado springs

I have been surfing the web for information about women fighters. You see, I took up Shao Lin Kempo last year when my husband went to Iraq. I have discovered a love of fighting. I am the only woman at my dojo yet, I do have the respect of all of the men I spar. They dont take it easy on me, they dont look at me like I am a woman, but a sparring partner..plain and simple. During my surfing, I have found so many places where women are exploited by men simply because they like to watch "chicks fight". grrr.... Anyhow, alot of that has to do with the women who allow themselves to be exploited. It is nice to find that there are women who are fighting just for the love of it. I have read some of the posts here and it seems like you ladies are worthy of respect.

I am an ok fighter...given my age...34..not that that is old, but a bit late to take up martial arts...lol I have competed in a few tournaments and placed third. I fight a bit aggressively for karate and was told I should just take up boxing. I love karate though..but I wasnt allowed to take it up as a girl...since lil girls didnt do that kind of thing. There arent alot of women that fight around here in Colorado Springs, either.
Well..I have to get on some housework..I have karate tonight...Hope to hear from all of you

KnockOut2 · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 439 Location: Louisville, KY

Muay Thai...that is my suggestion. Good luck finding a school, but that if you find one, that would be best for you.

Good post!
The "chick fight" sites take away the respectability and legitimacy of female fighters. They portray an image that associates female fighting with smile. People like to act like there is no harm done, but there simply is. The objectification of women is to blame only on these websites. It is a society-wide problem that has existed way before the internet. However, today, those fetish websites make matters worse for women who are trying to break away from the social stereotypes.

Furthermore, as a guy who is supportive of female fighting sports, it is difficult for me to separate myself from those "other guys" who post here occassionally that are just looking for girls in bikinis who are pretending to fight or wrestle.

For the guys...Imagine if you did a search on Mixed Martial Arts or the Ultimate Fighting Championship and all that popped up was Pro-Wrasslin websites. That would drive you nuts, right?

VooDooQueen · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 93 Location: colorado springs

Wrasslin..hehe...yehaw...let see dim fellers in some gstrings and covered in oil...That would be a n ice turn of the tables..dont you think? hahaha

KnockOut2 · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 439 Location: Louisville, KY

haha exactly.

Image if you tell people that you're a fighter and they say "Oh yeah, I watch that stuff. You mean like The Rock? I go to all of those fightin shows!" And then imagine that EVERYONE thinks of pro wrasslin when you start talking to them about MMA fighting. So everytime you start talking about your fighting, it is mistaken for something entirely different.

Then add in that pro-wrasslin involved baby oil and g-strings. You can bet that male MMA fighters would be complaining like a motherf&%^er!!!!

...and rightfully so.

VooDooQueen · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 93 Location: colorado springs

Tell me about it! My husband told some of his soldiers about my last tournament....they came just to watch the women fight. They were expecting us in shorts and bra tops...no such luck! We were in gi's and gear. They had never seen women fight like that before. In some small way, I think I earned some respect. One of the fights was a really good one...hd lots of aggression, judges and refs giving us warnings...it drew a nice crowd. (I won it with a kick to her head..hehe...at five two she wasnt expecting me to be able to go that high..) Two of those soldiers are now going be training partners with me. One used to wrestle and the other was a boxer. One guy told me that he was impressed. He thought it was going to be a catfight, but if he didnt know better, the women could have passed for men in technique and power. That meant alot to me.

Anyhow...Knockout...take care...

And you are right..those men would complain like lil sissies. But I would be the one sitting back laughing ...and say...doesnt feel so nice..does it?

dl_angel · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Austin, Texas

I worry too about the men thinking that women like to get hit too. Not sure if that's a problem, but there's big difference to me from getting hit sparring vs. some jerk thinking he's got the right to punch me- either for smile pleasure or because he's mad.

I sort of wonder if it can condone negative behaviors that maybe some of these men do already- like "These girls like to get hit so it's okay for me to go around beating up on my wife."

Just a thought.

VooDooQueen · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 93 Location: colorado springs

Good point....but if you know how to fight and your man hits you..then TKO his butt and leave. No one should be with anyone with that type of mentality. It isnt that one likes to get hit..no one does...just the fun of fighting as a game ..like chess but physical. Its just a game of matching your opponent's move and winning.

Any man with the mentality that he can hit a girl because she apparently likes to be hit since she fights is definately a few tampons shy of a multipack. Of course, if a man knows a woman can defend herself, he will be less likely to attack her. It is all about domination and control. Abusive men feed on weakness...you have no weakness, they cant feed off it. I know....I used to live with a man like that. He does not dare touch me now. A girl just has to have an upperhand ...oh..and a good uppercut...hehe

KnockOut2 · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 439 Location: Louisville, KY

really?

I've never thought about that dl_angel.
I've never heard of anything like that from other guys.

The most common thing I've heard as a complaint to watching women fighting is that they don't like seeing women get hit. Personally, I think that is ridiculous, but I guess when they see two women fighting, they imagine their mother or their sister in the ring.

It's difficult to consider a freak who will use female fighting as an excuse to hit his wife. My mind just doesn't stretch that far. It's difficult for me to imagine someone using that rationale.

KnockOut2 · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 439 Location: Louisville, KY

" is definately a few tampons shy of a multipack."

LOL

"Abusive men feed on weakness"

Truer words were never spoken.

dl_angel · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Austin, Texas

Yeh was just wondering about it.

The biggest jerk I've known was one of those into watching chicks fight and that sort of thing... I just found that the more he watched violent stuff, the more he tried to sneak a little bit of violence into all his relationships... with friends, with me. Not necessarily girls fighting either- just fighting in general. They start playing Fight Club and such- he tested the water with me a couple times and hit me and he got hit back hard. He stuck to beating up on his friends after that. So maybe I'm thinking of other guys like him. I was just thinking that some people have minds that try as hard as possible to condone negative behavior. But either way, it's too bad that we can't screen people at the door to these events because I feel like this is a sport, not cheap smile. And I don't want some guy at home enjoying himself in front of the tv, watching a couple girls fight. Particularly not if one of those girls was me. Ew.

VooDooQueen · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 93 Location: colorado springs

dl_angel,

it has been proven in psychological studies that men who read..and i use t that word REALLY loosely..smile, they tend to begin to dehumanize and demoralize women. i am not a "feminazi" but totally against smile. yes, some men do get off on watching women fight because the abuse turns them on. they are probably men who had been abused or subjected to watching their own mothers being abused as children. i dont pity them, for i am an abuse survivor...and i dont beat my children or like getting hit. yes..ironic i like fighitng..but it is a major stress reliever for me. (hubby brought the iraqi war home with him) Anyhow...as far as that guy you mentioned...darlin..I hope you hit him more than once.

Not all men like watching women fight so they can get off..there are men who like to watch it simply because they are amazed at well they do it.

ya know...we should meet up on yahell and chat sometimes...

WarriorHeartGrrl · Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Northern Vermont

This whole topic reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld, where Elaine asks Jerry what it is about a cat fight that guys love so much, to which he replies something to the effect of "BEcasue, there's a chance they might kiss" *smirks* So of course, it always comes back to smile.....

It's really to bad that women have to fight through all of this "Glamerous Ladies of Wrestling" crap in order to be taken seriously....

dl_angel · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Austin, Texas

Haha well there's one way to get more publicity for women in MMA! We can do like all the female musicians/movie stars do now and make out after a fight... that'd be great. <laughs>

PS- I am SO joking.

KnockOut2 · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 439 Location: Louisville, KY

VooDooQueen · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 93 Location: colorado springs

Makeout after fighting? Man..do you know how tired I would be on Thurdsay nights? I am the only woman at my dojo ..the only one who fights...so I would be making out with the men..that is 8 men..whoa...that wears me out just thinking bout it.

haha