By Karen Mends, Opinion Editor and Rachel Shortall, Second Year Philosophy and English
With only four female fighters out of a total of forty-four competitors, we set out to learn what the women's experience has been like participating in such a male-dominated sport. Epigram caught up with upcoming Fight Night competitors Mercedes, Ayishah, Izzy H and Izzy N to get their insights on the subject. Thankfully, from feelings of being treated with genuine respect to becoming part of a real community, the responses were overwhelmingly positive.
The girls’ reasons for getting involved varied from encouragement from friends and a way to channel excess energy, to taking the opportunity to try something new – such was the case for ‘Iron Ayishah’ seeking a new regimen to expand her horizons from her power-lifting background. Having all signed up with no prior boxing experience, there is widespread agreement that it was an anxiety-inducing venture at first. The support of the coaches and their fellow female fighters, however, made their newcomer status much less intimidating, and there is unanimous gladness at having stuck out those first scary sessions.
The demanding eight-week training course comes not without its difficulties - cardio, as Izzy ‘Iron Fist’ Nobles informed us, being chief among them; a fact which we awe-stricken Epigram reporters, tired just watching their warm-up, can attest to. Despite this, Izzy was spurred on by its difficulty and motivated by her desire to rise to the challenge. Perhaps unsurprisingly, volunteering yourself for a sport in which you get punched in the face was also a shock to the senses, but the girls regularly communicate to ensure that their sparring partner is content and ready and that the force is never taken too far. Mercedes – or Mer‘slay’des as she’s known in the ring – shared with us the strangeness of getting used to punching your newfound friends in the face, but noted that she quickly was able to come to terms with the fact that tapping into the combative, competitive mindset needed in the sport is distinctly separate from a mere aggressive desire to hurt your opponent.
Indeed, the training has its significant benefits both in and out of the ring, with Izzy Hood telling us she is the ‘strongest’ and ‘healthiest’ she has ‘ever been’ and giving insight into its confidence-building ability in areas where women often feel unsafe, for instance something as simple as going to the shop at night. This sentiment of increased confidence was shared by the other female competitors alike, with Ayishah appreciating the training’s ability to serve as a productive way work on oneself without spending painstaking, fruitless extra hours in the library – a struggle we all know too well.
On the topic of what it's been like preparing to compete in a predominantly male competition, the girls had very similar experiences. Ayishah and Izzy N detailed feelings of initial anxiety about the gender demographic when they started, with Mercedes describing it as ‘intense’. Izzy H even said that she wanted to quit! However, all four of them have formed friendships with quite a few of the male boxers and Izzy even commented on how she often commutes to training with one of them. Moreover, they all spoke in detail about the amount of respect they receive from their male counterparts with Ayishah stating that 'the boys are very supportive and it's a really fun environment.'
The girls also commented on the importance of community. Everyone is willing to help each other improve. Izzy H gave a heartwarming recount of how after most sessions, after the boys are finished sparring, a few of them come over to inquire about what moves she's finding difficult and help her work on them in their free time. Ayishah also spoke about how the girls have been able to form a strong bond, often hanging out outside of sessions. Of course, there's always that difficulty of knowing you're going to be having a sleepover with the person you're currently punching, but they've managed to make it work! There's a lot of open communication and they make sure to check in on each other after sparring.
All four of them really encourage girls in the UoB community to consider competing in fight night! Mercedes emphasised that you do not have to have a particular physique or be a heavy-weight champion to compete – girls of a variety of body types should feel encouraged to get involved. As someone who enjoys working out but does not thrive in the gym environment, Izzy H described the boxing sessions as a great alternative for other women who have similar sentiments. There's such a variety of ways to train that if anyone is nervous about getting hit, they can take on non-competitive training. Just as Izzy explained that the skills she has gained from boxing have allowed her to feel safer, Mercedes echoed that it is a real comfort to know that she can throw a punch and hold her own in terms of basic self-defence. Ayishah has also found that her confidence and fitness have developed substantially. 'It's also quite cheap to get into and is a good way to try something new', she explained.
So, to any girls who are thinking about competing in an upcoming fight night competition, take this as your sign to give it a go!
Featured image: Karen Mends
