She's a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports
Women’s fighting sports have a rich and storied history. As far back as the eighteenth century, female fighters battled at varying levels, from county fairs to elite events. With new opportunities to compete in legitimate arenas—from the Olympics and the Golden Gloves to wrestling tournaments and Ultimate Fighting Championships—women are now able to fight in ways their predecessors never could. And though women today still often face the same derision their predecessors faced, their fortitude and determination has earned them respect from much of the fighting community.

In She’s a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports, L.A. Jenningschronicles the stories of these strong and resilient women—including wrestlers, mixed martial arts competitors, and boxers—and the different issues they have encountered. Throughout the narrative, Jennings situates the stories of the female fighters in the culture of their time, revealing how women were often seen as objects of spectacle and ridicule before finally garnering admiration in the fighting world. The women featured in this book include England’s “Championess” Elizabeth Stokes of the 1720s, American wrestler Cora Livingstone in the 1930s, and early MMA great Debi Purcell in the 2000s.

Featuring historical and contemporary photographs and exclusive interviews with professional fighters, this book delivers an in-depth look into the struggles and triumphs of female fighters. Fans of fighting sports, sports historians, and those interested in the history of women in sports will find this a fascinating and illuminating read.
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She's a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports
Women’s fighting sports have a rich and storied history. As far back as the eighteenth century, female fighters battled at varying levels, from county fairs to elite events. With new opportunities to compete in legitimate arenas—from the Olympics and the Golden Gloves to wrestling tournaments and Ultimate Fighting Championships—women are now able to fight in ways their predecessors never could. And though women today still often face the same derision their predecessors faced, their fortitude and determination has earned them respect from much of the fighting community.

In She’s a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports, L.A. Jenningschronicles the stories of these strong and resilient women—including wrestlers, mixed martial arts competitors, and boxers—and the different issues they have encountered. Throughout the narrative, Jennings situates the stories of the female fighters in the culture of their time, revealing how women were often seen as objects of spectacle and ridicule before finally garnering admiration in the fighting world. The women featured in this book include England’s “Championess” Elizabeth Stokes of the 1720s, American wrestler Cora Livingstone in the 1930s, and early MMA great Debi Purcell in the 2000s.

Featuring historical and contemporary photographs and exclusive interviews with professional fighters, this book delivers an in-depth look into the struggles and triumphs of female fighters. Fans of fighting sports, sports historians, and those interested in the history of women in sports will find this a fascinating and illuminating read.
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She's a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports

She's a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports

by L.A. Jennings
She's a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports

She's a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports

by L.A. Jennings

eBook

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Overview

Women’s fighting sports have a rich and storied history. As far back as the eighteenth century, female fighters battled at varying levels, from county fairs to elite events. With new opportunities to compete in legitimate arenas—from the Olympics and the Golden Gloves to wrestling tournaments and Ultimate Fighting Championships—women are now able to fight in ways their predecessors never could. And though women today still often face the same derision their predecessors faced, their fortitude and determination has earned them respect from much of the fighting community.

In She’s a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports, L.A. Jenningschronicles the stories of these strong and resilient women—including wrestlers, mixed martial arts competitors, and boxers—and the different issues they have encountered. Throughout the narrative, Jennings situates the stories of the female fighters in the culture of their time, revealing how women were often seen as objects of spectacle and ridicule before finally garnering admiration in the fighting world. The women featured in this book include England’s “Championess” Elizabeth Stokes of the 1720s, American wrestler Cora Livingstone in the 1930s, and early MMA great Debi Purcell in the 2000s.

Featuring historical and contemporary photographs and exclusive interviews with professional fighters, this book delivers an in-depth look into the struggles and triumphs of female fighters. Fans of fighting sports, sports historians, and those interested in the history of women in sports will find this a fascinating and illuminating read.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781442236448
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date: 10/23/2014
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 222
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

L. A. Jennings is a writer, scholar, and former fighter. She is the co-owner and head striking coach at a mixed martial arts gym, Train.Fight.Win.
L.A. Jennings is the owner and head coach of Train.Fight.Win.MMA in Denver, Colorado. She is the author of She's a Knockout! A History of Women in Fighting Sports and wrote for VICE on fighting sports history. She has been interviewed by NPR, The Economist, Cosmopolitan, and the HISTORY channel as an expert on the history and culture of MMA. She is an instructor in the Department of English at the University of Colorado Denver.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface: The Origin Story
Introduction: Why We Fight
Chapter 1: Fighting in the Georgian and Victorian Eras
Chapter 2: American Women Join the Fight
Chapter 3: Fighting as a Spectacle
Chapter 4: The Fight to Fight
Chapter 5: MMA Goes Mainstream
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
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