I’m really happy with this write up in the Berkhamsted and Harpenden Times on women and girls taking up martial arts and kickboxing with us.
As Dolly Parton famously said: “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.”
And Maya Angelou: “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”
Coco Chanel maintained that: “Women have always been the strong ones of the world.”
My mum always said to me that men will never have the inner strength of women because we are biologically designed for something more powerful than any man ever could – bringing life into the world, of course.
Yet women maybe do still face a judgement upon them to be fragile if they want to be deemed beautiful.
Having seen anecdotally, girls and women around me taking up boxing, I wanted to find out more about whether or not this is a cultural shift or whether it has been something that has always been in place.
After the horrors in the national press, is there a perhaps need for – and safety aspect of – developing a physical discipline which may empower us to stay safe in a year when people in authority have abused their positions of trust to harm women?
We spoke to the founder of a Berkhamsted-based martial arts club about the increase in girls’ and women’s boxing.
Zak Brophy of 4D Martial Arts teaches a range of kickboxing classes which he describes as: “an evolution of Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kun Do and the Filipino Arts – Kali Arnis Eskrima”.
He adds: “Think The Bourne Identity meets Enter The Dragon. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows, grappling, fighting sticks….It’s all in there.”
Though he teaches all ages and genders, Zak said he has noticed that there is an increasing number of girls who are taking up martial arts.
He said he tries not to make judgements by gender but that he does find girls to be conscientious learners: “I don’t want to generalise too much but I notice the girls often make great students who focus well. They are good at observing and then applying what I teach them.
“I also notice that counter to old stereotypes many of the girls really enjoy the physical aspects of the training.”
Zak explained that none of the students have to spar, it is always optional, but many of them choose to: “There are no head shots (for safety reasons) but I develop their ability to really apply what we learn in sparring where they get to compete with one another.
“Some of my best fighters who bring the most gusto, technique and passion are girls.
“There are some incredibly powerful characters among the girls that find expression in these sessions, which is a joy to watch.”
Zak told The Harpenden and Berkhamsted Times about the pride he sees from parents when they see their daughters finding such confidence and inner strength through their training: “There is of course the aspect of seeing girls standing firm in their ability to defend themselves but also the inner confidence that comes with this skill.
“Training martial arts the way we do has so many physical and mental benefits. The girls develop strength, mobility, coordination and stamina but also poise, confidence and respect. A big part of the training revolves around building character, which can be applied to all areas of life.”
The martial arts instructor said he has seen the building of a strong community within the women’s only classes, with a real mix of people who attend: “Some of the women already have experience of kickboxing or martial arts but many of them have never done anything like this before.
“We train hard but we also have fun.
“I pump out the tunes and there is always a lot of laughter as we hammer into the pads. I’ve noticed women are much better at chatting and hitting stuff than men are”.
All of the women tell him it is “a perfect way to let out the frustrations of the week and raise the vibes for the weekend” in his Friday morning class, he said.
The Potts family, who all get something from Zak’s training sessions told us about the impact it has on them.
Thirty-seven-year-old Louise Pott said: “It is time for me. I find it empowering and good to be around strong women, which makes me more confident as well. It’s not your stereotypical high street gym environment. I enjoy the team atmosphere and the fact we train together, but it’s not competitive. The normal social boundaries are quickly broken, and that, in itself, is uplifting.”
Louise loved it so much that she asked her daughter if she would like to try it. Ten-year-old Evelyn Pott said: “The classes are energetic and fun, I like being part of a group where we work together. Zak keeps it upbeat and brings in drums as well. Also, I like the fact he pairs people up based on ability, not girls versus girls and boys versus boys. The sparring is my favourite part.”
Evelyn’s dad, Robert, who also boxes said: “As a dad it’s great to have a spar with Evelyn. She loves getting the better of me. Although she would never admit it, it has helped with her confidence. Plus, now Louise has started training. I’m having to keep my witts about me.”