[derUbermensch]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

A random thought on why I think FeMMA will take off much farther than women's boxing:

The culture of the martial arts is far more accepting of female fighters than the culture of boxing.

Women have always been part of the martial arts culture over the past few thousand years, and up to the present day.

A young woman named Yim Wing Chun (her name means "beautiful springtime") is said to have invented Wing Chun, for example. Ng Mui, a Shaolin abbess, one of the legendary Five Elders who survived the destruction of the Shaolin temple, is said to have invented the White Crane style. In Japan, the naginata (Japanese polearm) has been wielded mostly by women since the Tokugawa period of the 1600s, and its associated martial art, naginatajutsu, is a part of school curriculums for women.

Today, there seems to be relatively greater acceptance for women to be engaged in a martial art such as judo or karate, rather than boxing. In popular media, female martial arts fighters are commonly depicted, e.g. the female martial artists in Hero and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, or the female fighters in fighting video games like Tekken and Street Fighter.

In contrast to the thousands of years of female involvement in the martial arts, Western boxing, which arose from British bare-knuckle prize-fighting in the 1700s, began as an exclusively male preserve. Women only began to break into Western boxing in the latter part of the last century.

In sum, FeMMA isn't really something new: I see it as a progression to martial arts as it used to be, when the women fought alongside the men.

Women's MMA is already light years ahead of women's boxing. I find your explanation plausible, but I suspect more is at stake, as I don't think your average fight fan consciously realizes the affinity between martial arts and women to such an extent. But since I can't explain what that might be, yours is as good as any.

[derUbermensch]

Originally Posted by crossmount

Mebbe I'm wrong but I thought Jan was a standup fighter whose grappling was "competent".
I don't think Finney's grappling is enough to test anyone's basics from her Bodog fight against a smaller/weaker Tama Chan.

The only positives for this fight is a standup style matchup and Jan will be Gina's first opponent who is naturally above the fight weight (vs Chan she weighed in at 135 but on fight day was 150!)

You're probably more on point than I am here.

[Intercaust]

Old Guard makes an excellent point. Women's MMA would take off light years if UFC or Pride had women's divisions. Dana White says he doesn't like women fighting but if the money is there I'm pretty sure he'd let his gramma fight his sister.

[Old Guard]

Originally Posted by derUbermensch

Women's MMA is already light years ahead of women's boxing. I find your explanation plausible, but I suspect more is at stake, as I don't think your average fight fan consciously realizes the affinity between martial arts and women to such an extent. But since I can't explain what that might be, yours is as good as any.

For the average fight fan it is probably the fact that you have a lot of female martial artists in the movies and video games. Plus they probably took part, or witnessed, martial sports like judo, karate and taekwondo that have always had a lot of female competitors.

Off the top of my head, I can name a number of fictional female martial artists in the popular media: e.g., Chun Li from the Street Fighter video game, Beatrix Kiddo from Kill Bill, the characters from movies like the House of Flying Daggers, etc.

For female boxers, I draw a blank, except for "Million Dollar Baby." Granted, that was a successful movie, but it's the only one out there and I see no follow ups.

(Off the top of my head, the first real female martial artist I thought of was Cynthia Rothrock - shows you my age).

With all these kids growing up with example of females in the martial arts - they'll be more accepting of it when they grow up and see the real thing.

[bruceleroy]

short interview with Su-hi Ham and another Korean fighter:

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...4268&zoneid=13

she talks a little about her fights with MIKU and Hisae.

Word.

[kotcfan123]

i have the remix event from 2000 comeing in the mail it was an 8 women elimination tournament ive read about it here. erin toughill is 5'10" 170lbs BUT she had to fight a 6'3" 330lbs russian judo champ

[derUbermensch]

that Remix show is pure hilarity

[Old Guard]

Can anyone tell me anthing more about Su Hi Ham? The only time I've seen her is her fight with Hisae. Nothing on the internet about her either (at least in the English language)

[leto1776]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

Can anyone tell me anthing more about Su Hi Ham? The only time I've seen her is her fight with Hisae. Nothing on the internet about her either (at least in the English language)

try here: http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...4268&zoneid=13

bruceleroy trains at the same gym as her,I'm sure he can answer your questions/

[bruceleroy]

Su-hi Ham's fight with MIKU is on the tube. there is nothing else out there bc she has only had two fights.