Female MMA Accepted By The Mainstream?

(Newswire.net — December 2, 2015) Plainfield, IL — Is the Rise of Female Mixed Martial Arts Athletes affecting young Women? Victory Martial Arts Academies of the Greater Chicago area, has seen a large spike in women’s entry and participation in the sport of martial arts since 2013. Credits Rousey and Holms for making the sport popular with women and girls as young as 4 years old.

The Rousey-Holms fight had the largest viewership in UFC history, and the highest stakes—unprecedented for women fighters.  Victory Martial Arts Academy is a large network of Chicago-area gyms, responsible for instructing and training individuals who wish to compete in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports or just learn the lifestyle they teach. Looking back on the applicants who have joined since 2013, the shift in membership and growth of women who are entering the sport cannot be denied, says owner Dion Riccardo: women are taking up the gauntlet and stepping into the ring.

“Martial arts has always had an appeal for women,” says Riccardo.  “More for the self-defense angle, perhaps, than as a sport, but that’s really changed over the last 3 years and I thank women like Gina Carrera and Ronda Rousey for that shift.  Women are seeing that this is a sport, that it’s fun, healthy, and gives you confidence as you go through life.  All of us a Victory couldn’t be happier to see this shift to be more inclusive of Females young and old.”

Mixed martial arts are both a fitness program and a competitive sport, giving individuals multiple options of how to enjoy it.  Not only is it a sport for women, as well as, men, but also any age group can take it up and get value from it.  The sport focuses on building core body strength, flexibility, and confidence—something the folks at Victory believe everyone needs.

“People look at Rousey,” says Riccardo, “and see someone accomplished, someone who’s confident, and also someone was able to lose a match and still want to continue with the sport.  That’s perseverance and respect for not just herself but the sport and her fellow fighters.  All of these things are great lessons young women can take from Rousey and MMA.”

Most mixed martial arts schools have classes for all types of students, from novice to accomplished. Students can learn Muay Thai kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling & specialty courses like Self Defense 360 in a safe professional environment and choose for themselves to take it up as a Sport or a positive hobby. There are competitions for those who want to go that route, or they can continue on without competitive fighting and using MMA as a tool of fitness and good health. 

As more and more weight classes are added to televised MMA events the growth of women’s MMA will contnue to grow. We are yet to see the first all female cage fighting event on tv. There is still much room to grow in the world of mixed martial arts and its affects on culture is surging forward.

If you would like to read the full article please visit: http://www.go4martialarts.com/rise-of-female-fighters