I do not train mixed martial arts to get laid. In fact many women who train martial arts started for self-defense purposes. We're looking to thwart off sexual advances, not invite them. I take precaution to dress reasonably and modestly, both on and off the mat, because it's hard enough to be taken seriously as it is. (Especially as a skinny blonde.)So I was looking around online for some no-gi training shorts that A: couldn't be mistaken for underwear, and B: don't have an extra 5 inches in the inseam, when I read that "Fight Chix is as important to women's MMA as Affliction or TapouT is to men's." I was instantly skeptical because the clothing line's logo is the outline of a stripper (7 inch heels, plastic tits, nominal waist, and all) with her hands up like Notre Dame's fighting Irish. But the tag line reads "Empowering Women Worldwide," so I decided to check out their site. Silly me, I thought a women's MMA clothing company would specialize in fight gear, but apparently empowering women means empowering their sex appeal. While Fight Chix's line does list ONE pair of grappling shorts and ONE rashguard, it focuses mainly on lingerie, swimsuits, and enticing t-shirts that read "Wanna get it on?"
I read Elizabeth Nuesser's, founder and CEO of Fight Chix, testimonial and history. She talks about being a driven career woman in a man's professional world, and being a fan of the mixed martial arts. She writes about her desire to empower women to be strong and sexy. She says, "I quickly engulfed myself in research and discovered there are many female fighters struggling harder than the men and a woman fanbase that is as large as the male fanbase. I also realized the woman’s voice was not being heard or if it was we weren’t being represented like we should be." Which confuses me. Fighters and fight fans (of any gender) do not have the same voice, nor should they be represented the same way.
While I share her passion for empowering women to be strong and beautiful, I disagree with her methods. The fact that a woman can land a hard cross or execute a double-leg takedown is sexy in and of itself, regardless of how much her ass hangs out.. "Wanna get it on?" is not the voice of women's MMA that needs to be heard, nor is "The Sexy Side of MMA" the way female fighters or martial artists should be represented.
