‘You punch like a girl.’ Why is this commonly heard phrase taken as an insult and more like a punch to the face? Why when you google ‘boxing,’ do only pictures of fierce-looking men appear? But more importantly, why does the complete lack of female representation in the media not seem to be more worrying to us?
Though boxing is still seen as largely male dominated, the number of female boxers is on the rise, keenly supported by an increasing number of gyms in our community. One of these being the United Martial Arts Academy (UMAA) - a gym based in Purley with 40% of its adult members being women. Local fitness centre, UMAA provides an outlet to improve strength and fitness levels, but above all, an encouraging training environment for all. When asked about women in boxing, Leon Williams, former British boxing champion and coach of UMAA replied: “I think it’s a great thing that more women are getting involved, it’s the future. It’s an all-round sport and shouldn’t be limited to just men. I think what is stopping more women boxing is that they feel a little restricted with the number of opportunities.” One of UMAA's passionate female boxers, Neha Iyer encourages more women to take part in the sport and said: “Not only has it improved my physical health, but also challenges gender stereotypes.” She also added that: “As a young girl, I had only ever heard of boxers such as Mike Tyson or Muhammed Ali and I think it is great that we are seeing more female boxers nowadays to act as role models for girls my age all around the world!” So the next time you hear the words ‘you punch like a girl’ take it as a compliment… If you are interested in joining UMAA, check the link below. Who knows, you could be the next Lucia Rijker! https://umaatraining.co.uk/
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