Yep, an all-female fight card held in Kansas City. I've been doing some research for a second series and wanted to attend a mixed martial arts event. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this, but I did want to absorb the atmosphere (pulsating heavy metal music and flashing red, white and blue lights - for FIVE hours) and see how these things are run. Girls in tight black dresses roaming around taking drink orders. Men in suits. Families. Groups of well-dressed women in their sixties chugging margaritas. Scary looking dudes with muscles and tattoos.
I thought this would be something I'd watch for an hour or two and then leave early. It's one thing to write light-hearted fight scenes but quite another to actually watch two women (or men, for that matter) go after each other. Guess what? I could not take my eyes off the action. After the first few fights, I forgot I was watching women and just got into it. As the fights progressed to the main event, the skill levels increased dramatically and I was mesmerized by the fluidity and speed of the takedowns and escapes, not to mention the flying kicks and brutal punches. I thought I'd do this for research, but I'm on the road to being a fangirl.
India could learn a few lessons from these ladies, but I doubt she could execute some of the moves in those long skirts she's forced to wear.
Your description of the attendees sounds like every visit I've ever had to a casino. Were there any babies or toddlers in strollers?
ReplyDeleteThe few times I've caught MMA guy fights on TV while channel surfing I have to admit I stopped and watched in fascination for about twenty minutes. But I can't watch much of it for long. I don't know if watching women would be any different for me. I can understand why this would be popular with certain types of men.
I saw a half-dozen babies there, and I can only imagine they'll need hearing aids before they're six. My reaction surprised me. I didn't expect to enjoy the experience, but I did. I thought that the crowd would be bloodthirsty and I'd feel uncomfortable. But most seemed to know something about the sport and appreciate the technical fighting skills, and a well-executed escape would earn as much applause as a well-placed punch or kick.
ReplyDelete