In the last few years, I’ve found myself in a bit of a love affair with boxing. When I started, every lesson was a metamorphosis. Social awkwardness, inhibitions, and body image angst would slink away and cower behind the punchbags, or hide in the changing room lockers until I was done. Boxing makes me feel aware of how I’m put together, and of my own physical power. I feel unafraid to take up space<\/a>. <\/p>\n
New to the hobby in 2008, I assumed women could box in the Olympics, and was surprised to find this wasn’t reliably the case<\/a> and thrilled when things changed<\/a>. Having failed to secure tickets, I nearly nosebled with excitement when a friend offered to sell me hers. Katie Taylor<\/a>‘s competing! Hero worship explosion!<\/p>\n
So. That’s the background to this post. But what I want to talk about today is the Amateur International Boxing Association’s latest statement about women and boxing, which the Beeb reports<\/a> thusly:<\/p>\n
The latest talking point is not whether women’s boxing should become the newest Olympic discipline at London 2012, but what the boxers will actually wear when they compete.<\/p>\n
During last year’s World Championships, the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) presented competitors with skirts, rather than the usual shorts, which it wanted to “phase in for international competitions”.<\/p>\n
AIBA asked boxers to trial the skirts, which they said would allow spectators to distinguish them from men.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
There’s this, too:<\/p>\n
“By wearing skirts, in my opinion, it gives a good impression, a womanly impression,” Poland coach Leszek Piotrowski told BBC Sport. “Wearing shorts is not a good way for women boxers to dress.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
My initial reaction? More flail than the semaphore alphabet. I’ve now slept on it and had a bucket of calming tea. There’s a lot of<\/a> justified rage<\/a> already out there<\/a>. This is a shitty patronising move by AIBA, and one I find quite insulting, but no doubt this surprises nobody. So rather than just spitting WHAT THE BILLIONTH FUCK?<\/em> about the place forever, here’s a bit of history and a bit of telly, via which we can consider for a moment what all this says about the neurosis we have about women who punch things.<\/p>\n
I’m gonna start with Popeye<\/strong>. Bet you didn’t see that one coming.<\/p>\n
She’s A Knockout<\/h3>\n
Never Kick A Woman<\/strong>, a six-minute short in which Olive, with the aid of Popeye’s spinach, goes toe-to-toe for his affections with a Mae West-a-like female boxer who throws punches in a skirt and heeled boots, came out in August 1936.<\/p>\n