Giving “You Hit Like a Girl” a New Meaning
Martial arts have long been held as male dominated sports that value stereotypically masculine characteristics such as strength and aggression. As a result, women are often discouraged from participating in these androcentric arenas. Yet, more and more women are choosing to participate in martial arts and are bringing more awareness to the gendered nature of the sport. Female athletes are challenging gender ideologies, such as the motif of the male protector and female victim. In the martial arts studio, women and girls are not only battling their opponents, but they’re also battling gender norms. Lyda, Raksa and Sokhouy, three young Cambodian women who practice jiu jitsu, prove that the common stereotype of “hitting like a girl” can be a compliment and a testimony to the strength and ability of women in martial arts.
In Cambodian society, like many others, young girls are often discouraged from ‘playing rough’ or fighting, as women are meant to uphold the ideals of beauty and grace. Having bruises or acting aggressively or dominantly is frowned upon, as it disrupts the narrative of the delicate and nurturing female character. As a result, it can be difficult for young girls to transgress this boundary and defy their family’s or community’s expectations by participating in a sport that may be perceived as aggressive. Lyda, a 20 year old who has been in jiu jitsu since 2018, has tried promoting jiu jitsu in her community, but has faced challenges:
“Some parents, they still do not allow their daughters, nieces, or grandchildren to practice this sport, where they say, ‘what kind of sport is this? Why are they hugging, or riding on top of each other?’ and they said they would never let them train.” She continues, “They also said ‘you are a girl. You can’t go and practice sports like this. You will get injured’.”
The belief that a woman is weak and therefore cannot handle the aggression of jiu jitsu is a major preventative factor towards their inclusion in the sport. Lyda tries to share with others the benefits of women training in jiu jitsu, “I know sports will have hugging and riding on top of each other, but it does not affect the Khmer traditions. It’s learning. If we know this kind of sport as a girl, wherever we go, we can protect ourselves.”
“Playing rough”
Preconceived notions that women in martial arts are not as strong, fast, or skilled as their male counterparts is common. However, the argument that women are weaker or simply physically different than men does not hold up. You don’t need to be physically stronger in a spar, as you can apply different skills to dominate your opponent, such as superior leverage, fluid movements, and body positioning. Perceived “weaknesses” can actually be considered strengths, as a smaller frame provides an advantage over a larger person in sparring. Smaller competitors can more easily tie up their opponents or slip out of holds, as well as duck hits and escape their opponents’ range. Sohkouy, a 19 year old girl who has competed and won medals in Thailand and at home in Cambodia says:
“Practicing jiu jitsu with men on the mat is different, for us women most of the time we have to rely more on technique than strength while sometimes men can overpower us with strength.”
Despite an increasing number of girls joining jiu jitsu and other martial arts, very few choose to pursue their sport as a career, as the opportunities available for women as professional athletes are lacking compared to their male counterparts. Although women make up 40% of sportspeople, they continue to only receive 4% of the total sports media coverage.* Lyda encourages young girls in Cambodia to consider joining the Cambodian national jiu jitsu team, stating “you’ll receive a lot of benefits. Because first, you will get paid from the ministry and you will be able to compete abroad in different regions. You can meet new people and make friends with your opponents who you’ve competed with.” Sokhouy plans on pursuing her jiu jitsu training and making it to an international level:
“My goal is to be a jiu jitsu black belt and maybe open my own jiu jitsu gym in Cambodia. I do want to compete a lot more with high level people and bring some medals home.”
She says that there are more and more women choosing to compete at higher levels of competition and believes that there are a multitude of benefits to practicing jiu jitsu, such as getting healthy, gaining self-confidence, learning self defense, and being able to stand up for yourself. Raksa describes her own experience of how learning jiu jitsu helps build self-confidence and can even be essential in learning self defense:
“Before I started training, I did not dare to walk outside from my home to the market. Now, my house is in Chhoukva and my school is in Toul Sangke. I can ride my motorbike back and forth every night at 8:00pm. So, I have my courage, I believe in myself. In the journey of self-sufficiency, I trust myself. And with what I trained. I believe I can protect myself and I feel safe to travel alone.”
Challenging stereotypes
Young girls like Lyda, Raksa, and Sokhouy are challenging stereotypes by encouraging young girls to get involved in jiu jitsu and martial arts in general, with the hopes of shedding light on the gendered nature of the sport and the importance for women to participate in sports. They are paving the way for younger girls who are hesitant to get involved in a sport that may be socially discouraged from participating in. They are allowing for the imagining of a future where a woman can pursue sports as a career, where women stand on par with men on an international scale in sports. Acting as an ambassador for the younger generation, Raksa states:
“I want to encourage girls to participate in sports more, because sports are great for us. Sports give us courage and allow us to defend ourselves. We have the courage to participate, and we dare to go anywhere by ourselves. We don’t have to rely on anybody, and we have confidence in ourselves.”
*https://www.athleteassessments.com/gender-equality-debate/