To not understand why women box?

[Choufleurfromage]

Not a fan of boxing as a 'sport' in general and given the hysteria over football/rugby tacking and head injuries, am surprised such a violent contact sport is still allowed.
Also, at the risk of being oxymoronic, I really do think women shouldn't be banned from doing stuff, but boxing is just so uncouth, ugly and violent, I cannot understand why women would want to do it; ok, it offers opportunities for disadvantaged youngsters (plenty of evidence of this), it creates discipline and focus, but it is still 2 people battering each other for no reason...
I am sure iabu, and am not suggesting women only pursue 'dainty' sports or activities, but boxing?

Well aren't you a peach, OP? Maybe you should channel some of your anger into boxing.

Tbf your first mistake was the title. If you had kept women out of it and just talked about boxing you wouldn't have got so many snippy responses.

Boxing isn't just hitting people. It makes your body amazingly strong and is good for mental health. You should give it a shot.

I do NOT have an issue with women boxing, as stated on original post, I asked why they do it as it is something I do not understand.

It's fun, good exercise, teaches discipline. Cardio and strength training in one, improves coordination, reflexes and balance. You need a lot of skill and training and resilience. Gives confidence. Those are from the top of my head of why a female could be into the sport.

Do you have a problem with women doing all contact sports or is it just boxing?

my daughter adores her karate lessons and it has done wonders for her self esteem and managing some anxiety based anger issues in a controlled way. i imagine some women would say the same about boxing.

I don’t see why anyone likes cheese.

YANBU

There’s something ugly and chav about it. I totally get what your saying about head injuries too - so much hysteria about head injuries in other sports to the point they change rules or encourage kids to do lower risk of head contact sports - and yet we’re sold the idea of women beating each other about the head whether in boxing or MMA as some empowering thing.

How long before the lawsuits come out with people who have boxed or done MMA suing the sports for concussions like “oh gee I just didn’t know getting punched repeatedly in the head would be bad for my brain, why wasn’t I made aware?”

I also think it gives a false sense of security to some younger women doing it that they will be able to “handle themselves” because they do it in a controlled environment where the instructors big them up and they might be more likely to put themselves in danger by confronting some angry man on the street etc.

Whilst I don't agree with your point I think explanation is more useful than just snapping back at you.

The issue I take with your wording is uncouth. Using that is going to annoy people because the requirement or women not to be uncouth is a long held misogynistic issue. Not being uncouth means to sit prettily and be quiet and not do anything vulgar. It's a sexist term when using it as a phrase to apply why women might not want to do anything.

Uncouth is a made up silly concept. Designed to create pretend superiority in those who look down on things but in fact indicates a need to be weak and justify it.

I enjoy boxing for fitness (nothing serious) because it is a repetitive exercise that requires grace to move yourself and it combines with power. It requires thought to match your feet and arms and combine force with planning and movement. Prediction of the opponents behaviour and calculation of strategy. If anyone actually looks closely at it , the only people who don't realise are those who just think its just hitting things.

Feeling strong and able to defend yourself is not uncouth. It's sensible and empowering.

@Tiredalwaystired

Karate isn’t really full contact like boxing though. You can do karate without getting punched in the face and sparring can be light - if you box for real it is not.

How is boxing ugly? Or uncouth.
It's a skill a form. If anything I see boxing /kickboxing skills similar to dancing.

Foot works, movement, its actual moving you body gracefully in correct manner to attack or defend. Thinking about each placement and reading the other person.

On OP thinking women who box must be aggressive things. Prob assumes butch. Which is far from the truth.

Yes I don't box but I kickbox. It's a ladies session and loads of us. From all walks of life. Not one is an aggressive person looking to fight.

Boxing has changed my life. Sparring in a ring is one small part of it.
I do all of the training and long pad drills sessions with a coach. It's amazing exercise and great for stress.
I don't hit anyone

Yabu. I kick box and I love it. Both kids do. It’s fantastic for both physical and mental health. It’s made me a lot more confident in myself

When someone says something like ‘oh it’s uncouth’, I immediately decide they are the sort of persons whose opinion I would never listen to. I am not here to be what other people think I should be.

and honestly, even in competitions, we don’t beat the shit out of each other. Never even had a black eye. A couple of foot injuries, one rib injury and that’s it. At 40 I am fitter, more flexible, stronger and happier than I was at 20.

if you don’t like boxing you don’t like boxing. Yabu to think other people should feel the same or that women in particular shouldn’t want to do something because of your archaic views.

Look at women boxers like Katie Taylor - the control and discipline she has is just amazing.

Women can want to train to be quick and strong just as much as men can. I don’t like the contact side of boxing for men or women - but I understand why both men and women would want to do it.

Thank you for answering!
I understand the fitness stuff etc, just not how people (esp women) can hit each other. And yes, it is my problem that I find women fighting distasteful, but maybe that's because I am old.
Mind you, after some of the responses to my OP, I'm begining to see the attraction of throwwing a punch! 😀

My polite, beautiful and gentle natured girls (they are frequently complimented on their looks - drives me mad, there's more to them) do boxing.

What do you make of that? Is it an oxymoron girls and women can be this and do boxing? Their female teacher is polite, kind and pretty too! Crazy times eh... It's a great full body sport and very practical if needed IRL. Great for confidence, co-ordination, discipline.

You're being ridiculous.

@Choufleurfromage how old are you? My mum was 66 when she died last year. She didn’t think that women had to ensure nothing they did was uncouth m.

That mind set is not age related. It’s simply limited thinking. It’s your mindset. Not your age.

Well said. And constructive
Clearly I hould have wriiten my post after my 1st coffee!

"Traditional boxing is a horrendous sport where the ultimate aim is to give the opponent concussion."

I don't think that's the aim.

I don't understand either, why women OR men wish to batter the living daylights out of each other ending up with a boxers misshapen nose at best, brain injury and death at worst

I don't like boxing but your views are rooted in misogyny.

Sexist rubbish.
I'm trained at MMA, which is possibly a little more brutal than boxing. I love it. Being a woman does not make me less capable than a man, it doesn't mean I enjoy it less than a man would.

Why exactly do you think women should not participate? They are matched with other women, it's not like they are being placed against men twice the size at an unfair advantage. This is why weight grades exist, to match opponents fairly.

I really don't think you have a clue about the sport, or a point to be honest.

This.

You dont need to understand, you don't get it and that's fine, you don't need or have to entertain boxing in general and that's ok. I personally don't get certain things and why people do them but we're all different and are into different things. Live and let live and all that.

Has someone built a time machine and sent us back to the 1800s? Come on now, be honest, who did it? 😂

I cannot understand why women would want to do it; ok,

twice you’ve mentioned the word women in your op.
not a single time the word men

maybe you have to be the one going to specsavers. And chill out. Too early for your arrogance

So it’s ok for men to be ugly and uncouth ? But not women in your book?

jog on OP, the 1950’s is back that way 👈

I used to love boxercise. So physically demanding. And that feeling when you have the gloves on and use all your energy into hitting a speed bag many times per minute, which takes concentration and skill.