Over Sexualization in Martial Arts

My dojo hosts many seminars...

Yet I distinctly remember one of my first...

I showed up and as I joined the mat one of my fellow peers made the comment,
“Wow you look pretty today.”  

I was slightly taken aback. It wasn’t a compliment I was use to receiving on the mat.  When I asked him what brought that about, he said,

“You actually have makeup on.”

This threw me for an even bigger loop.  Attractive was never an adjective I thought to describe myself as on the mat.  During training I would use adjective such as confident, strong, athletic, and maybe even badass…
​

It was a few months later, I was told by a potential sponsor who wanted me to test their gear out, said that they were withdrawing their offer because my photos on my social media were...

not “hot” enough.

Photo credit: BJJEE at bjjee.com

​I was blindsided, confused and I’ll admit it hurt a little.  
​I had originally thought I was suppose to test the Gi’s and promote them in a business like manner.  The truth of the matter was this company didn’t want me promoting their merchandize with my talent and reputation.  They wanted me to promote them with one of the oldest marketing tactics, based on the philosophy that sex sells.

Regardless of this marketing scheme that has been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years; our society has become more progressive, reforming their ideology on feminine beauty to include qualities such as confidence, strength and athleticism.  With this psyche, it’s natural that female martial artists could become sensuous and even provocative.  But at what point of time do we cross the line and focus not on a martial artists capabilities but rather their appearance?
​  

At what point of time do we as a society begin to sexualize martial artists?
​

Leeann Morris is the co-owner and operates/trains at World Class Martial Arts just outside of Philadelphia, PA.  She currently holds the rank of 4th Degree Black Belt Master Instructor in Tang Soo Do and currently holds the rank of Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Her husband and Professor is Aaron Morris, a 1st Degree Black Belt under 8x World Champion and IBJJF Hall of Fame member, Master Robson Moura.

Mrs. Morris is also the owner of “Josei Heishi.”  ​

Over the years Mrs. Morris has seen a growing support for females in the Jiu Jitsu community.  However, she still feels like more should be done.  She wanted to make a difference rather than wish for one.  Josei Heishi is Japanese for “Female Soldiers” and their mission is to bring recognition to female practitioners in the Jiu Jitsu community.  Mrs. Morris explains, “We want to give back to all the female athletes and practitioners in the BJJ community.”

Jiu Jitsu, particularly Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has been on the front line in the controversy over equal pay and over sexualization of female practitioners.  Organizations such as Josei Heishi and “Equal Pay For BJJ” are professional organizations focused on bridging the gap between female and male practitioners.
​

With growing attendance of female BJJ practitioners, companies have jumped on featuring them in advertisements… ​

However, the women featured in the advertisements not only inaccurately portray women training in Jiu Jitsu but at times even cross the line of being blatantly sexualized.

Because all women in Martial Arts look like this when training.

Some claim, that this type of attention is helping promote the art.  
Mrs. Morris disagrees,
​“I don’t agree, but I know it is something that happens.  Anyone who knows about the sport should careless about how you look and be more concerned about what you train and fight like.”

​The blooming talent that many female practitioners possess is becoming veiled by the alluring contributes of their training.  Negatively portrayed practitioners in any martial arts can have negative effects not only on the system but also on its current practitioners.

​While many practitioners such as Mrs. Morris might feel that martial arts is for
​ “women of all walks of life”.
 A negative portrayal could affect a student thinking of signing up for classes or creating an unrealistic aspiration for current students.

Some males might not understand or comprehend the issue of oversexualization of their fellow female peers.  ​

Mrs Morris explains,
​“What if it was their daughters or wives being sexualized?  The men have to put themselves in that scenario to know how they would truly feel in regards to a situation like this.”
​

Mrs. Morris points out that RAINN (the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization) shows 1 in every 6 American women has been a victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.  With statistics like this, women need self defense training more than ever.
​

Organizations such as Josei Heishi are encouraging female practitioners to support one another to create an empowering environment. ​
​

Group photo of the Josei Heishi Ambassadors.

Mrs. Morris insists,
​“If women want to see a change, they have to be the change.”
​

While we are fixated on our appearance in the mirrors maybe our peers are not so concerned about us, but rather with their own study?

To help battle the epidemic of over sexualization, Mrs. Morris encourages practitioners to stand up for who we truly are.  
She asserts,
​ “If you want to be seen as an independent, strong woman sometimes that means messy hair and no make up.  Don’t sell yourself out and be who others want you to be just to get ‘recognized’.”
​

As a female I do take pride in how I look and on occasion I might actually brush my hair, but when I’m training the last thing on my mind is if I’m ready to walk the runway.  There really is no point to doing makeup if I’m going to sweat it off.  There’s no point in curling and styling my hair if it’s going to get pulled loose or plastered to my forehead.  A female’s appearance during training is no different than in a life threatening situation… ​

Who cares what you look like as long as you are surviving.

 
Always show your talents and strengths.  Never down trod your capabilities and always remember once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.

And always remember... 

Anyone can take a Gi off but very few will ever put it on.

Josei Heishi Website