Not Lucky

First of all, I am not “lucky” to be a female martial artist.  I didn’t pick some four-leaf clover or perform a magic spell to join the elite rank of martial artists in this world.  I put in as much work and effort as anybody and I withstood the test of time. Luck has nothing to do with earning a black belt or having the opportunity to teach others this very demanding physical and mental application. There is only one way that luck came into this at all.

I was lucky enough to believe in myself.

Overcoming Fear

The first hurdle many women must overcome is fear. I have always had a difficult time getting women to sign up for self-defense classes, never mind a martial arts class, because they fear the unknown.  They dread being put in a circumstance they are not sure they can overcome. They wonder, “Am I going to look ridiculous if some guy jumps out and grabs me and I don’t know what to do?” 

Real misconceptions like these hinder women from ever stepping foot in the dojo and these are the type of misconceptions that need to be broken wide open.

But, let’s get beyond that. Let’s say a woman, like me, gets up the nerve to not only attend a class, but eventually reaches the high-ranking, black belt. While I very much enjoy the accolades for being a female martial artist and a female martial art role-model, there truly are some misconceptions that border on the absurd.

That’s Not a Uniform!

Let me start with the misconception that bothers me the most.  Thanks to media and marketing, apparently all female martial artists are beautiful, immaculately fit, and wear a bra top, small shorts, and fighting gloves when they practice.

I saw an article recently about the best reasons to practice a traditional art. Great topic, something every aspiring martial artist should read, but the photo stopped me dead in my tracks.  It was a woman wearing exactly what I just described. Whoa…. hold on…. since when does a traditional martial artist wear barely anything when she practices and since when does she look anything like this?

Let’s get real.  This model does not represent the majority of female martial artists that I know and I do not want young girls interested in martial arts to get the wrong idea.  They already have so many pressures to look a certain way.  The dojo is actually one of the few places where they can blend in. They should excel based on their practice, dedication, and commitment, without worrying about how they look.

Woman are in it for the same reasons as men, to gain confidence, lose weight, work out, get fit, learn defense, and become empowered.  When did “beauty” enter the criteria? The female martial artist wants to increase her power, focus, drive, ambition, and take action.  She is not in it to walk a runway in a beauty pageant.  It is the age-old “sex sells” mentality, and it is not something that’s going to go away anytime soon.

I think that a picture of an empowered woman in a crisp uniform is appealing enough to sell martial art products.

Aggressive Not!

So, along with the supposed small bits of clothing and gloves that some think the martial art woman wears when she practices, others also anticipate her to be aggressive.

Trust me, women who practice the arts have no desire to flaunt power.  This misconception is another sensationalized version of female martial artists. As far as I am concerned, if I am in a fight, I am going to do my best to run away from it. I honestly do not want to hang around to fight back.

Just because I am a female martial artist does not mean I want to stare down a real life opponent. I also don’t want to show my super cool moves on some unsuspecting victim just to test my womanly power, either.  I have nothing to prove, really.  I did not take a martial art to make a statement. The more you practice, the better you become. If, in the process, you become stronger and more empowered, then you’ve done something right.

 

The Everyday Female Martial Artist

Somewhere in between all the sensationalism is the real version of the martial art woman.

Somewhere in a dojo, with a few other students by her side, the everyday female martial artist is hard at work perfecting what she needs for her next belt or her next goal.

Well, there you have it.  It is up to you who you decide martial art women are. I understand that being a female black belt creates an image of a strong and powerful woman and that’s okay. I strive to be independent and courageous. I occasionally throw a guy in class for practice. But, I never want the world to confuse the hard-working, efficient, traditional female martial artist with some half-clad model.

With every swish of her uniform and sweat dripping down her face, the everyday martial art woman is beautiful on her own merits and completely capable… in a real way.

xoxo

Andrea

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