Fighting Like A Girl

The idea of women being depicted as weak, fragile, or incapable is so outdated. Or so you'd think. As a woman, I face adversity every day in many ways. At first glance, you may see a small girl living in a man's world, with a friendly face, who would never hurt a fly. But that's not who I am. And that is not what the women of Ronin Training Center train so hard to be.

Ronin Training Center is a gym which fosters the empowerment of all women in all ways. When you step in these doors, the first face you may see is that of Laurah Hallock, the gym's manager, who is also a *Black Belt* in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and who competes in body building, and is an instructor of our Ronin Fit classes. Or, you may see the face of a number of women who put work in day in and day out to break boundaries and prove to anyone what girl power is truly all about. Trust me when I say, the work that the women in all disciplines put in, does not go unnoticed. We are a show of power and might, and are not strangers to pushing limits and achieving goals.

As a female fighter, one thing I expect from my male training partners is equality. To push me just as much as they would push another man of my size, or to hold me to the same standards. When your feet touch the mat, you are just another teammate, another partner. You are only as good as what you train with, and how much work you put in. If you are training with someone who refuses to sweep you, or kick you, or roll with you, then you are going to be in for the shock of your life when your opponent turns and throws a perfect flying knee at you in a real fight. When your training partners aren't pushing you as hard as you need to be, or they don't give you the training that you deserve, then it may be time to find someone who will. Training in a male dominated sport, it is so important for me, as a woman and as a competitor, to make sure that my partner is going to push aside the simple fact that I am a girl, and even if I'm a little shorter or a little lighter, that I am just as capable.

Every fighter experiences life a little bit differently, but what makes a fighter a fighter is their ability to face and overcome the many challenges they face inside and outside of the cage, ring, or off the mats. As a woman, as a fighter, the challenges I sometimes encounter come from being what I am. But if there's one thing I know, it's how to fight like a girl, and I'm pretty dang good at it.