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?

Very witty.

· 13/05/2022 07:15

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

People often get complimented for their looks. Its a nice thing, I wouldn't be annoyed about it. You can't expect people, especially strangers, to gush over all their attributes, which they might not even be aware of.

Blasphemy

Yep, you live and learn. Especially here!

Because they enjoy it and they want to.

Different thing appeal to different women, we are not a homogeneous group with a shared set of characteristics. The idea of the typically feminine sport netball, bores me to tears but I've never sat sat and wondered why other women enjoy it.

I do martial arts and we spar. Punching and kicking. I'm not overly good at it, and I'm very short so have a disadvantage, however for me:

• Marital arts and contact sports is far more physically demanding than any other form of exercise I have done.
• It develops speed, reflex, stamina, and strategy. You have to outsmart your opponent. You have to read your opponent. You have to push that flight response to the side. You have to know your skills and deficiencies.
• You have to be disciplined.
• It is a release. I'm a small woman but I still feel aggression at times. I am well-behaved, polite, introverted, and quiet, but I get frustrated and it gives me an outlet. Maybe the same way other people overeat, drink, and do drugs?

I wont spar in tournaments. I don't think I'll be good enough. I'm no longer in my 20s or 30s, and my reach is too short. But I still enjoy it.

I feel like rather than being sexist, the OP had an implication in her post that “many men, at heart, enjoy being violent and causing harm to others”. By contrast, women are less violently driven so why would they want to do it. Before anyone jumps on me for this being sexist in some way, I’ll point to all the criminal stats.

A lot of posters have come back with explanations regarding the intensive and beneficial boxing training which perhaps is not so well-known outside of the sport. To outsiders, it does seem bonkers that women want to beat each other’s brains in, because it’s that sort of imagery and result that is associated with the sport.

The women do it for the same reason that men do it, it's fun.
In a sense, combat sports are closer to the spirit of sport in that sports are proxy fights/wars in the same way that a kitten playing with a ball of yarn is proxy hunting.
If you're inclined to test your skill and physicality against other people, as some people are, there aren't many truer tests.
You'd struggle to find a single participant who cites "battering people" that as their aim.

I guess for me too, when I'm jogging through the woods of an evening, I want to know I at least stand a bit more of a chance (compared to the 20 something me), if someone should try to grab me. It's why my daughter also trains with me. I don't want to put my trust in men to short out their violence. It wont happen.

*sort

I hate cardio, but my PT introduced boxing to my week and it's amazing. Heart rate up, frustrations out, very effective

I can totally understand why women box. Taking back a sense of power and control, and being able to match men physically and defend themselves.

I personally probably wouldn't do it because of the risk of injury, but I can completely relate to those who want to do it.

I also think your post is very sexist and lacking in consistency. You say women shouldn't be banned from doing it (of course they shouldn't) but they go on to use language that implies that it is coarse and unfeminine. Why is that even relevant, if you don't draw a distinction between things which men and women do?

I agree with you .I hate boxing generally. I have no idea why in 2022 its still allowed tbh. For women it seems to go against the sisterhood somehow.football for women is great .my friend used to play actually. Brings out female bonding .boxing seems just generally about fighting. I am not saying girls have to take up knitting! Just lots more sports an hobbles more positive role models

I have never done boxing but I did used to do goju ryu karate which is in the eyes of the op a violent contact sport. It instilled great discipline in me and the only woman who I have ever met who did boxing said the same. The one thing we have in common is we are very focussed individuals. Plus both of us did want to learn to fight to give us a chance against any attacks when young women. I was young when reclaim the night started and we were given rape alarms on campus.

The psychological thing of throwing a punch? I’m absolutely with you on that one!

(Directed to aim at instructor’s body, not a focus mitt or a sort of padded waistband type thing -which in my head is fine- not sure why) He’s telling me “hit properly that’s not a hit” and I’m like “but you’re a person, it’s not the same hitting a person!”
{I couldn’t “hit properly” but was able to build up to hard enough that I wasn’t berated for it?}

i dont know. It’s actually thanks to mumsnet i started kickboxing. There was a thread about doing things for cheap / free in your local area so I instastalked mine and found a gym doing free sessions last month. I LOVED them and in May duly signed up for the next year (which brings my tuition down to less than 50p per half hour -if I were to attend all available classes- sometimes this is 3-1, sometimes a class of 20. It’s amazing). So I’ve actually ended up spending MORE money 😬 but this feels like the BEST investment in me vs. two pints a week (well.. probably one pint these days!!! Little more than a fiver).

Your arguments are making less and less sense tbh, OP. At first you were trying to claim it wasn't that you didn't like the idea of women boxing, since you disliked boxing in general. But your thread title and later comments show that it very much is that you don't think it's something women should want to do (and admit you have that attitude 'because you're old'). Then you say you're fine with the idea of women kickboxing . I suspect it's all about the superficial image you have of boxing as a 'not naice' sport, rather than the actual physical aspect.

For the record, I don't like boxing at all. It's violent and dangerous, though I can totally see why people would do boxing training for the fitness aspect. The difference is, it wouldn't occur to me to specifically question why women would want to do boxing.

Wow.
I really hope you "anti women boxing" are all trolls.
Firstly, Katie Taylor is a brilliant role model for all, especially young girls! She also played football for ROI but chose boxing. Just FYI. Is football okay?
Secondly, are you really saying it's okay for men as a sport, but not women?

We really are going backwards!!

It's not just about fighting!! There are skills involved ffs
The ignorance here is mad!!!!
Feels like this is 1st April, not Friday 13th.
I feel sorry for any daughters you may have.

I don't understand why anyone wants to box. It's basically beating people up.

women want to box for the same reason men do though. They enjoy it.

Not sure what being beautiful has to do with it? Does that mean only ugly women should box? You see that's the problem with picking holes in the OP make sure you're watertight first. All you've done is narrow it down to looks instead of sex.

I hate boxing full stop and wish it was banned!

I do TaeKwonDo. That's basically kicking people in the head for best points in competitions... I do it as it's great stress relief. I know boxing is more brutal to the face but some women need to get the stress out some how, better to get it out with a willing partner :D each to their own but that's why I do what I do.

Forgot to mention, it's great for self defence too :D

Why is that funny? OP is allowed to ask any question she wants. OP wanted a discussion probably to understand why? They have admitted maybe worded awkwardly but a conversation worthy of having surely? Especially if after thought provoking conversation they would possibly acknowledge that their upbringing. Being told what was and wasn't acceptable as a child has affected current thoughts. And instigates change? Your frankly not funny post just makes you look flippant and try hard.

Boxing training looks a great workout and would make you super-fit, but I wouldnt like to actually have a boxing match. (I'm sure I'd be knocked out within a few seconds anyway....which I don't find appealing at all!)