Jab! Cross! Jab! Uppercut! Uppercut!
This warm-up combo is ingrained in my head from the summer I started boxing at the Title Boxing Club.
When people think of boxing, they mostly think of men with punching gloves in an arena. Their first thought is almost never women in the arena.
When I was younger, I was obsessed with the idea of having a Century Bob opponent bag because I always saw them at the sporting goods stores. I wanted to learn to fight and get stronger. At the age of 5, I loved carrying heavy bags of groceries back into my house and helping my aunt carry crates of soda. It made me feel strong “like a boy.” I wanted to be the student that helped bring back chairs so that I could fulfill the role of being one of the “three strong boys” they needed. Before even understanding the patriarchy, volunteering for “male” tasks was my pathway to proving my stance and illustrating equality.
Growing up, all I heard and saw plastered over social media and magazines were sayings like, “Don’t get too bulky. Men don’t like that.” & “Women don’t need to be strong.” Even as I strongly rejected these standards, there was doubt in myself.
My threshold came when I came past an old YouTube video from 2015 of Gigi Hadid’s boxing Vogue video. I remember thinking, “She is so strong.”
Entering my first boxing class, I was so lost trying to learn all the new combinations. However, this was where I wanted to be. I wasn’t afraid of being strong or looking silly. Around me were tons of other women on their own journey. They were all here for themselves, fulfilling their own goals and undergoing a challenge.
Everyone in boxing wants you to try your best. The goal is to see yourself be the strongest version of yourself. There’s a silence of any overwhelming feeling inside yourself because your mind is focused only on boxing. You aren’t thinking of what others see, but of the instructions given to you. Boxing is a sport of pure training and self-growth. This is why it’s so powerful to see other women in boxing.
Every time I see women at the boxing gym, I feel like we are all here together. Everyone’s on their own individual journey, but collectively, we are all here for similar reasons. We all have been bombarded with standards that society tells us to fit into. We’ve all heard what the definition of being lady-like is. Seeing other women in such a powerful sport is inspiring. As a society, we are so ingrained to associate men with power. When I see other women in boxing, I am reminded that I, too, can and deserve to be powerful.
After every session, I’ve felt accomplished that I completed a workout and pushed myself with each round of punches. There’s the feeling of strength and energy when you see yourself getting stronger. It’s a journey that builds confidence and unlearns the guilt of being strong as a woman.