It can be a dangerous world out there for women, but we can also make it even more dangerous to those who endanger women. One way is through empowering women with techniques in self-defense. More than just providing them with boxing gloves, sports mouth guards, and colored belts, we are giving women a fighting chance in this infuriatingly misogynistic world. There are many forms of martial arts and self-defense to choose from, and each of them has their own benefits and weaknesses. This discussion will focus on boxing.
Boxing is considered one of the oldest combat sports, and varieties of it can be found across all cultures. There is little wonder about it. Boxing has proven, time and time again, to be effective against opponents and predators. How boxing will help victims of sexual predators is another matter. But it will empower everyone who undergoes training under efficient and empathetic teachers who are competent practitioners of the sport as well.
Here’s what else you need to know before signing up for boxing.
Mental Benefits
Boxing provides you multiple things to help you get away from trouble. For starters, it heightens your awareness of space. It also makes you more alert to present dangers. Your reflexes become quicker, and your movements follow your instincts. That, of course, comes with enough practice on technique, particularly when sparring. You learn to exercise different kinds of punches, the four main ones being the jab, the cross, the hook, and the uppercut. You will eventually determine which punches are best used on which parts of the body and which situations. You will learn to duck and jump as part of the training. And you will find, create, and use different combinations of everything you’ve learned in sparring sessions with classmates or situations where self-defense is needed.
Physical Benefits
Boxing has physical effects, too. You will be surprised by the strength of your body and new agility. These newfound skills don’t happen overnight, but the gradual improvement will still impress you over time. You’ll learn to be disciplined, and you’ll know how to stay calm in stressful situations. You gain new friends among those in your class, and your level of confidence goes higher. While these may not be necessary in times of emergency, it will help you stay assertive and enable you to sniff danger from far away.
Boxing is an old sport that has been tried and tested for millennia. It sharpens a person’s mind and body. It answers to many of one’s physical, mental, and emotional needs. It strengthens not just men but also women in every way. It not only gives them a more significant chance to survive against attacks but also helps them realize that the world does not need to be so violent against them. It is particularly essential for those who have suffered abuse. They will learn that they can retain their sense of self and that there are things their abusers can never take from them. They can have a fighting chance.
