free fighting

[lim]

Does anyone think women should only fight semi contact and not full contact?
Do any women out there fight full contact?
In the class I train in I fight mainly semi contact.

:confused: lim

[Fu-Pow]

Are you a woman?

Fu-Pow
"If you are talking about sport that is one thing. But when you are talking about combat-as it is-well then, baby, you'd better train every part of your body" - Bruce Lee

[lim]

yes,as stated in my profile.
Thanks for the bruce lee quote but not really the answer I was looking for...so instead of words of another what is your opinion on it?

[GreyMystik]

well, her profile says she's female born in '74, so i would say that qualifies her as a woman. i don't see any reason why a person's gender should have any bearing on whether or not they fight 'full contact' or not. but that's my opinion.

[Tzustone]

Lim i read an article in blackbelt magazine sometime ago about a similiar topic.

Could you specify whether you mean inter-gender or not?

Metal may conquer wood but the SPIRIT is Stronger.

[apoweyn]

Well, if a woman is being matched up with someone of comparable size and ability (whether male or female), I don't see why not.

That point about comparable size has nothing to do with gender, by the way. I think, for training, it's probably a good idea for people to train together who are capable of bringing similar levels of force to bear on one another. If a 140-lb. fighter is taking on a 200-lb. fighter, I have to believe that the lighter fighter would take more abuse than fitting for a training match. I know that lighter fighters can beat heavier fighters. But as a general guideline, I'd try to match people up by size.

That said, in semi contact, I'd want to mix it up a bit more, so that everyone can become familiar with the habits, tactics, and considerations of dealing with different sorts of opponent.

What are your feelings on the subject Lim?


Stuart

[Son_Goku]

Hey, if a women is able to kick some ass, no matter who's it is, i say let her fight in full contact!

Fear.....Fear attracts the fearful.....The strong....the weak....the innocent....
Fear is my ally

[Martial Joe]

Fu Pow puts that quote after everything he postes.So that wasnt to you.I dont see why a woman shouldnt.Thats like saying can a guy cook or not.Everyone should do full contact if they want.

[Highlander]

O.K. as I understand it, the arguement against women fighting full contact isn't so much sexist as it is physical. The common belief, right or wrong, is that repeated hard blows to a womens breasts can do severe, long term damage that might not show up for years. As I stated, I have know knowledge as to whether or not this is true, it is just what I have heard. My advise would be to consult your doctor and get the facts. If there are physical dangers, at least you will be able to evaluate them. If there aren't and you want to do this, then go for it

[apoweyn]

Well, there are physical dangers to anyone fighting full contact. Men and women alike.

I met Muhammed Ali several years ago. Good case in point. (Assuming that the boxing did, indeed, aggravate his Parkinson's.)

That's a really good point though. If you're going to do this, then it makes a lot of sense to be knowledgeable about the specific dangers you face.

[Tzustone]

The Article stated something like this:

It would not be fair for a woman to enter an inter-gender comp. because first if the man beats her somepeople might say he had an unfair advantage and if she got damaged would say he used too much force.

If the woman won they would say he let her win or such.

The fact is the public responses to such demonstrations and compititions are usually negative.
You would have to admit that it would be pretty hard to negate such effects.
I fully support heavy sparring within the closed doors of the Kwoon.

Some of you guys should try breaking out a fight with a female MA in a bar even though she beat you to a pulp. The guys would still jump in to "defend" her.

:D

Metal may conquer wood but the SPIRIT is Stronger.

[Water Dragon]

1. A woman should spar with men as she is more likely to be attacked by a man.

2. A man should spar with men as he is more likely to be attacked by men.

3. A man sparring with a woman will be a great experience mentally as he will really learn a lot about being able to go all out. Most men have a natural hesitation about going full bore on a woman. Being able to overcome that will provide a lot of transfer of training. Besides, if you are a man and not going all out on a woman, you are doing her a great dis service. You are giving her a false idea of what will happen in a confrontation. This may give a false sense of security.

That being said, a woman is physically more fragile than a man so take the following into account:

1. Learn the art the right way. Everyone should be doing this but it is imperitive for a woman to do so.
A) A good example is a shot to the head. A woman's neck muscles are not as strong as a man's. Therefore, be good at defense.
B) A woman is not as strong as a man physically so she needs to learn how to use body mechanics where a man MAY be able to muscle his way out of it.

2. It is very possible for a woman to become much better than any man she meets. The trick is to train hard, be patient, and have persistance. Please note that these are the exact same traits neede for a man to be successful.

Although there are many styles, they all depend on the strong beating the weak and the slow falling to the quick. These are not related to the power that must be learned -- Taiji Classics

[GinSueDog]

There is a chick where I train that can beat half the guys there either on the mat or in the ring without a problem. It depends on how serious there focus is and this applies to everyone both man and woman.-ED

[ope]

i dont think there is man or women in MA.. but its true it might take some women a bit longer training before they jump into full contact fighting..

[atsai]

There's an interesting thread in the reality forum that's somewhat related titled,What to do if you get into a confrontation with a woman? (http://forum.kungfuonline.com/1/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=126197291&f=732193102&m=6951963971).

I agree that the problem of women competing may not be of physical difference between the genders but of cultural and political correctness. Many men do not take honor in beating a woman. Beside, with the inconsistency and hypocrisy that is feminism means some feminists will take issue even if the competition is women vs. women beating each other into bloody pulps(because the audience of such competition probably will be mostly men). Women grow up being told they'll be victimized and men grow up being told they're the aggressor--we'll have to follow this stereotype for a while or else social disorder will result. There're women out there who are far more devoted to martial art then the average Joe. when Mia St. John posed for Playboy, there were serious women fighters who felt Mia had "betrayed" the recognition they worked so hard for.

OKAY, I think I rant on for too long, too far and lost the point I was trying to make... I think I'm feeling that the issue of whether women can fight full-contact may not lie w/ the opinions of men, but of other women and feminists' objections.

"...and feminists said, No, it's not, there is a set of rule that apply to everyone. Guess what? It's not true." --Michael Crichton

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"You fight like you train." --Motto, USN Fighter Weapon School (TOPGUN)

[Destrous9]

If a woman wants to fight full contact, more power to her. Why should a woman be any different from a man.

Anyone that is fighting full contact knows the risks. Why have the state regulate your choice?

"Deep down inside of all of us is the power to accomplish what we want to, if we'll just stop looking elsewhere."

[Highlander]

After thinking about it, I don't even understand why it is in question. After all there are professional women boxers. I attended a collage boxing match that had women boxing. We have women who are professional kickboxers. And in the grappling world we have had women wrestling for year. Of course they usually have to oil up first or wrestle in a vat of jello, but I can live with that. :eek:

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

i hate sparring womem because i don't want to hit their purtty faces and i feel bad if i hit them in the boobies.

these are my shortcomings though, not the girl's. i think women should spar full contact as soon as they think their ready. word of advice though, don't expect the man to go all out until you show him you mean business. it may be sexist, but it's ingrained in us not to hit women due to their more fragile stature. you got to feel the guy out and see where he stands on the issue durring the sparring session. there was a girl at class that would get frustrated with me until she decieded to go all out and whup on me one day. within seconds my attitude changed toward her at least. if she gets hit in the mellons she should have guarded her upper gates better just like a man. she still doesn't like it when i perform tiger cops a feel though :mad:

where's my beer?

[This message was edited by GunnedDownAtrocity on 04-19-01 at 11:34 AM.]

[dmsdc]

I took me 3 years before I was ready to really play hard. That "nice girls don't hit" message got ingrained pretty deeply.

But I'm over it now - which gives me a little advantage. Even guys I've sparred with often will wait until I get a good crack in before they decide to get serious. Why get offended?? If they want to wait to get a bruise before they want to take me seriously that's their lesson to learn.

That good mechanics over muscle thing is totally key. I'm 5'4 & 130# -- there's no way I'm going to be able to seriously out-pace a guy who's 6' 200+# and at my skill level. And so is having the patience with female students that they simply might not be ready to rock and rolls for YEARS longer than guys.

Truth of the matter is, if you take two people with the same skill level, the larger one will win most of the time.

But that's not going to stop me from stepping on the floor. Most of the guys I train with are convinced I'm 5'8 instead of 5'4". I'm just one of those concentrated people.;)

cheers,
Dana

"I have been in
sorrow's kitchen and
licked out all the pots.
Then I have stood on
the peaky mountain
wrapped in rainbows,
with a harp and a
sword in my hands." -
Zora Neale Hurston