Comments on: On Getting Hurt and Being ‘Pretty’

By: links for 2011-07-24 « Embololalia

links for 2011-07-24 « Embololalia — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:02:27 +0000

[…] On Getting Hurt and Being 'Pretty' My dad was a boxer, as was his dad, and his dad before him. My great granddad was, apparently, a boxer who boxed illegally on the streets of Liverpool. Made a good living from it, I hear. My granddad’s house was full of my dad’s boxing trophies, and my dad would point at professional boxers on our TV and claim to have fought them in his youth. I have no doubt that, were I a boy, I would have been encouraged to be a boxer too. (tags: gender body.politics sport) […]

By: Miranda

Miranda — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:23:39 +0000

In reply to Agleamandaglow.

It’s so much more widespread than I’d realised, this attitude. Given the oft-fetishised way women are filmed when they kick ass (action babes etc), I expected some of the “OOOH MATRON!” I had about my boxing. But I was a bit surprised at the fear people had – a colleague who regularly sent her 12 year old son to boxing classes told me I shouldn’t be doing it and that I should stick to “boxercise” – piss off, I thought, I want to spar!

In class, as the only woman, dynamics were interesting. Some men ignored me. Some sparred deliberately dirty to scare me. Some couldn’t stop apologising when they landed a (light, this was sparring) body blow.

I am definitely scared of breaking things! But I think that’s a reasonable feeling.

What isn’t reasonable is the family member who said “boxing? I don’t like girls doing bloodsports.” Bloodsports! IT IS LIKE FOXHUNTING :D

By: Agleamandaglow

Agleamandaglow — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:24:24 +0000

I understand this – I’m a 27 year-old woman and play rugby. People are amazed and shocked when I tell them. “But you don’t look like a rugby player !” They cry, meaning that I am ‘pretty’ and shapely and free of cauliflower ears or missing teeth. The next reaction is ‘but you don’t play full contact, do you ?’ to which I smile and say that of course I do. They are horrified when they see my bruises. But I love my team and my teammates, who have taught me so much. I know there’s a fairly decent possibility I am going to take some cosmetic damage, especially playing in the forwards which is all about the scrum and the contact. I haven’t thought about what I’d do about it, though, so thank you so much for this post.

By: wererogue

wererogue — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:41:31 +0000

Both my sister and one of my friends play Roller Derby, and love it! Best of luck to you.