Back

2/7 Seconds Out by Alison Dean

There are good discussions on a variety of things - self-defense (myths, studies, she has the same misgivings I do), blood (period=bad; man's face bleeding=impressive; woman's face bleeding=unacceptable), tears, existing/working in male dominated spaces/sports.

3/7
Hilariously mentioned early on are #writers that #write passionately about boxing but don't really do it - Ernest Hemingway, Joyce Carol Oates, Norman Mailer. The #Hemingway week at the gym - ouch Also there's a beneficial discussion of #masculinity - the ideas of gyms or sports becoming diluted (by women's participation) and the idea that masculinity needs to be carefully guarded - is proof it shouldn't be preserved.

4/7
#MentalToughness is a great section set up by the question: "How are emotion, empathy, and vulnerability connected to the drive, focus, and aggression required of a fighter?" The three part definition of the term was useful too: the ability to understand yourself and your capabilities and to own them.

I always appreciate calling attention to the knowledge gap in medicine - science/health research generally is one size fits all with male as the default.

6/7
#Tears are often seen as a weakness or loss of credibility in male dominated spaces- this is a better explanation of tears in training:

Quote from Sylvie von Duuglus Ittu (of There is Crying in Muay Thai): "isn't a response to anything directly but more the general need for release after feeling quite pressured and bottled up by being ineffective in any varying degree for the past hour, minutes, days, weeks, years, whatever..."

https://8limbsus.com/blog/crying-muay-thai-emotional-training

7/7 end
The author is a kickboxer and boxer but i think all women who do any #combatsports for fun or professionally would enjoy and relate to much of it.

Seconds Out: Women and Fighting https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55843975-seconds-out

#bjj #blackbeltwomen #bjjwomen #jiujitsu #fitness #womensfightingsports #boxing #muaythai

@bookstodon

@KBTechEnt

Ooh i hope you do!

@jiujensu Appreciate it. I'm such a small minority I don't always find others to compare with. Something I was thinking of that's jits specific: my rolls got easier. I'm now at the same strength level as most other blue belts, and new athletic white belts generally don't try to murder me. (Or at least not in the same way they would you.)
I had no idea how hard I was working as a heavyweight "female" both in regular training, but also to prove that I belonged in the room.

@KBTechEnt

Thank you for mentioning that - fighting to be in the room and the fact that they really try harder with me. They're huffing and puffing and sometimes shaking with effort - and in those moments i even have time to pause and notice how calm i am by comparison. BUT there's risk when they're using such effort - i have to be reserved in what i choose to do - i can't practice some things i want to try or have to dump parts of my game entirely - because it's like...

@KBTechEnt
...wrestling with a bear trap (as i told my instructor in one of my pity parties).

Being a black belt and small woman i often feel like a huge target for people with something to prove (for some reason - i mean congrats, I'm half your weight?) and also or as a result just not enough (not tough enough, not as skilled as i thought i was, getting too old, etc). Not having that other experience relating to men as a man, I get to thinking it's all in my head & it can be a real mindfuck.