Women’s MMA & Pro-wrestling Part 2 - A Shared History

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Megumi Fujii training catch wrestling with fighter Josh Barnett

There has been reactions to my first article about how we are talking apples and oranges when it comes to women’s MMA and pro-wrestling; which is half true. To break down the differences and similarities in the two sports, we need to dive into some history.

Amazon Warrior on Grecian Urn 

Fighting is probably the second oldest sport next to running. Although you’d think males have been fighting longer, think about the motherly instinct. It is something common in most animals, and especially humans. Protection of offspring is something embedded in women’s genetic code. So, you could say that fighting is in women’s blood. Genetics also tell us that women are more flexible and durable in many instances. A recent study also showed that women who have given birth have a higher pain threshold. MMA fighter LaTasha Marzolla said it best, “If you’ve given birth, you can take a punch.”

Female warriors have always been around, no matter how the male gender tried to carry on most of the fighting. From the Greek Amazons, to the Welsh warrior Boudica, and Chinese warrior princess Pingyang, women’s have done their part to prove that women can lead on the battlefield.

Roman tablet depicting Gladiatrixes

Women in combat sports can be traced back to the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta, as women were known to have wrestling tournaments beside their male counterparts. In 200 B.C. in Rome, women gladiatorial fights were just as exciting as the men. In the western hemisphere, one of the oldest hand to hand competitions has been Huka Huka wrestling in Brazil, where women try to take down their opponent.

The first female fight in the modern sports era was a boxing match Elizabeth Wilkinson and Martha Jones in 1720. This was before the Marquess of Queensberry Rules for boxing, and could basically be called the first ever women’s mixed martial arts contest on record; as there were no real rules. Wilkinson would win the fight.

Ad Santel demonstating catch wrestling

It was the late 19th century was when shoot, or catch wrestling started to become popular. The fighting without striking an opponent was a legitimate sport at the time; allowing a combatant to win via pinfall or submission. You could find matches touring with carnivals; and occupying dance houses and stages throughout the world. Although the guys were the main attraction, women also were on the cards as a featured attaction; very similar to how female pro-wrestlers and women's MMA fighters are treated today. 

Amateur turned pro wrestler Mae Young

Coming into the 1920’s, the length and dullness of matches led to the kayfabe, or staging of matches. Shoot wrestling continued on in various sources in many countries, but the new “professional wrestling” had taken the spotlight. However, when the all wrestlers, male or female, were trained, they were taught legitimate shoot wrestling – something that stopped during the later half of the 20th century, but we will get to that in the next article.

Linda Lee Cadwell & Bruce Lee

Women had bigger struggles in martial arts. Although women had been trained in certain martial arts in Japan and China for centuries, American women had yet to train in them until Bruce Lee started to train anyone who wanted to learn. His wife, Linda Lee Caldwell, was one of the first American female martial art students.

Judoka Ronda Rousey (blue) at the 2008 Olympics

Women’s amateur wrestling and boxing developed in the later half of the 20th century. In 1904, women’s boxing was introduced as an exhibition sport at the Olympics. It took 108 years before it would become a legitimate Olympic sport. It will be making its debut at the 2012 Olympics in London next year. Women’s amateur wrestling had become a sport at the 2004 Olympics. The earliest combat sports for women in the Olympics were judo; which was a women’s exhibition sport in 1988, and became an official sport in 1992; and Tae Kwon Do, which was a demonstration sport in 1980, and an official sport in 2000.

In the next article, we will talk about the origins of women in mixed martial arts, the differences from shoot wrestling, and the divide in marketing and respect between the two sports. 

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There are 2 comments on this post. Join the discussion!

Sprawl_N_Brawl says:

Lets give a big shout out of thanks to Title IX, which made womens combat sports possible in our age. When I was a kid, having girls in the wrestling club would have been un-thinkable, but now we have several girls who can hang and bang with the best of the boys.

If we can redifine the concept of "girly" to include confidence, assertiveness and the ability to defend onesself and ones family, we will have a happier, more productive society as well as a card full of really good womens MMA bouts to watch!

Support Girls Wrestling, Womens MMA and your local MMA promotions, who are currently the only ones giving women any real exposure in the sport.

It took decades for the effects of Title IX to trickle down to combat sports, but if we make some noise in support of womens MMA, we can speed up the process and start seeing great girls fights on TV right alongside the mens fights at the UFC, Bellator and whoever comes along to compete with them.

#EqualFights !!

@Sprawl_N_Brawl

Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 11:22am EDT

MarQFPR says:

Absolutely agree with Title IX having an impact in wrestling. Women's wrestling programs are still redeveloping in many states. In my later articles I will talk about women's high school wrestlers, as several are now pro-wrestlers or MMA fighters

Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 7:52pm EDT

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