Guest Article: Jiu-Jitsu Can Level the Playing Field for Women by Alexia Krause

About a week ago, I was contacted by Alexia of MMA Industries with an article for the Part Time Grappler. I hope you enjoy it.

Women training with MMA gear


Can a woman really beat a man? It is common knowledge in the combat arts that strength is a great advantage to have. While this is true whether you are a man or a woman, females face this challenge more often, especially when a situation with a male opponent presents itself. The good news is superior jiu jitsu skill can come to the rescue.

Sure, in Mixed Martial Arts (an activity more popular with men), women have created their own niche and follow many of the same footsteps as their male counterparts. They take on the same type of regimens that men do, use some of the same MMA equipment, and take on the same type of punishment. However, in a situation in which a woman must outlast a stronger opponent (male or otherwise), for the purpose of e.g. self-defence, and she cannot depend on referees, rules or evenly matched opponents, the age-old art of Jiu-Jitsu will help answer many of the unique questions that present themselves.

Jiu-Jitsu has existed since feudal times as a way for an unarmed fighter to incapacitate a stronger, armed and armored opponent. This martial art promotes the idea that weaker or smaller individuals can defend themselves against, and even defeat, a larger and much stronger opponent. By utilizing joint locks, throws, holds, and strikes, a Jiu-Jitsu fighter can use his or her attacker's energy against them. Jiu-Jitsu training is a great way to get into shape and a great martial art for women to learn for self-defense purposes.

Self-defense skills can help save lives.  Knowing them is especially important for women as statistics show that their size and attributes mean they can be victims of different types and genres of violence.  Learning skills that even the power-balance, such as jiu-jitsu, and participating in simulated fight training* can ultimately help a woman balance the playing field between her and a bigger attacker.

So for the majority of you who aren't fighters- do you think you could hold your own against a professionally trained female Jiu-Jitsu player? I bet you'll find they beat men more often than you think.



Alexia has a true enthusiasm for writing articles related to mixed martial arts and fitness. As a result, she joined up with MMA Industries- retailers of highly popular MMA training equipment and MMA gloves. Alexia currently resides in Long Island and continues to promote the virtues of MMA as a sport and a fitness vehicle.


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*Just take note that simulated fight training should be done with proper equipment, such as MMA gloves, so that no injuries are actually sustained throughout the practice.  You’ll want to save the real injuries for someone deserving of them.




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1 comment:

A.D. McClish said...

Love this!! BJJ has definitely given me and so many other women more confidence both in self defense and life in general. I will say, though, that the idea of a smaller woman being able to dominate a larger, stronger male doesn't happen instantly. The reason why BJJ works is technique. And it takes a while to learn how to control and resisting partner, especially when every time you get off balance, your opponent can easily sweep you. I have been too hard on myself about wanting to be able to "beat" larger, male opponents. But I have to remember that I can't be a black belt overnight. Like everything else worth pursuing, it takes a lot of time and hard work. Thanks for the article!