Debunking the Stereotype
of the Female Boxer:
A Visit to Gleason’s
Gym
By Gillian Granoff
Women Learn Valuable Lessons
In and Out of the Ring
As I arrive at Gleason’s gym in Brooklyn to interview
breakout female boxing star Alicia Ashley, I anticipate meeting
a mythic superhero. Ashley began her career following in her
choreographer father’s dance steps as a member of Alvin
Ailey. After taking up boxing, she quickly moved up the ranks
from amateur status to professional after securing a Golden
Gloves Championship title and a 16-2 record. One day, while
recovering from a knee injury, Ashley’s brother Devon,
a professional kickboxer and black belt in Tai Kwan Do, suggested
she accompany him to a kickboxing class. It was clear to him
that she was a natural. Devon deduced that her skilled footwork,
agility and balance from years as a dancer could prove advantageous
in the realm of kickboxing. But Ashley quickly realized that
she needed to improve her upper body skills. “I took
boxing to become a better kickboxer,” explains Ashley.
She took to the sport so quickly that she was immediately
placed on the pro map at her first bout; and on January 29th,1999
she made her professional boxing debut. She surprised even
herself with a six-round split decision victory over the highly
favored English World Champion kickboxer Lisa Howarth. Her
unlikely domination of this more experienced boxer, eventually
became the highlight of her career.
Gleason’s Gym,
which has recently garnered public attention thanks to the
Academy Award winning Million Dollar Baby, retains an aura of authenticity with its sweat-stains,
pungent smell, and layers of dust and grit.
As
I timidly approach the ring, I find Ashley engrossed in a
heavy sparring match with the first in a long line of amateur
female boxers. “Alicia’s
getting ready for a big fight. She needs to get through six
more rounds just to get ready,” comments Angel Rivera,
another trainer at Gleason’s. Ashley must lighten down
from her already small 125 pound frame down to 118 lbs in
order to qualify for the right weight category,” he
explains.
As
she dances around the ring, she is light on her feet and
moves with the grace and subtle strength of a ballet dancer
in a pas de deux. “A
paper once compared Ashley with a gazelle, penning her ‘Muhammed
Ali in a skirt whose movements, at times become a symphony
of coordination and harmony.’”
Her
graceful movements and petite stature notwithstanding, this
girl is no nonsense. What she lacks in size, she more than
compensates for in agility, technique and skill. To her peers,
this 5’5” powerhouse
is known as “South Paw” and her strategy is to
defeat her opponents with cunning, not brawn.
I
glance back over to the ring and see that Ashley is already
on to her next contender, a petite framed 106 pound fighter
with blond hair. A bystander confides to me, “She’s here every morning by
6 am. That’s dedication and discipline.” When
she’s not training for her upcoming fight, she divides
her time between working as a social worker, placing mentally
ill adults in treatment centers, and taking night classes
in sociology towards her Ph.D. “She’s really
strong,” Rivera comments. As I glance around the room,
I begin to notice the incredible range of age, body types,
and experience levels of the women. The gym is filled with
many women, each with her own story. In a neighboring ring,
a cheerful looking woman with blond hair in her mid-forties
catches my attention. She introduces herself as Karen Gollup,
a 46-year-old elementary education teacher at PS 114 in the
Bronx. Karen’s interest in the sport was inspired by
a visit to the gym with her boyfriend, “He’s
been doing it for years and one day I decided to come along
and check it out. I got hit by the bug.” Her
sparring partner, Sara, is an attorney. Karen loves boxing
for the challenge, a way to relieve stress. “It’s
the opposite of her personality. I’m reserved, I’m
not aggressive and this is a good way for me to do something
I’ve never done before.” She credits boxing with
helping her to focus in the classroom.
Ashley
compares the skills needed to win a boxing match with those
required in a game of chess. To defeat your opponents you
must adapt your strategy to each new situation. “When I fight someone, I fight
just that person. I don’t look at their tapes to see
how they fight. I fight every person differently. It’s
like life,” Ashley says. “You have to adapt your
skills to each situation and approach each situation differently.” This
versatility and spontaneity is what has enabled Ashley to
overtake opponents with twice her power and experience. Her
talents have also brought her opportunities outside the industry,
including a gig as a stunt double and roles in three feature
films including, Girl Fight and the soon to be released
Sundance Film Festival hit, Strangers with Candy Although
Ashley admits that initially the draw of the spotlight attracted
her to boxing, what ultimately transformed her into a real
boxer and a success was her desire.
As
we continue to talk, Ashley notices Karen and Sara sparring
in the ring behind and shouts protectively, “Put your hands up!” As
the round winds down, Ashley wipes the sweat off Karen’s
brow. All women are equals here. Despite the mix of gender,
race, ages, and skill levels of the boxers, there is an unmistakable
sense of equal opportunity at Gleason’s. No one is
judged on her looks or ability as a boxer and there is no
social hierarchy. Professional boxers spar alongside movie
actresses and schoolteachers, kids with parents, models,
with ex convicts on parole.
“This is a Gladiator
gym where nobody cares what you’re doing or what you’re
wearing. The majority of the women don’t come in with
makeup on. It’s not about being cute; you sweat, you
shower and you go.” The camaraderie and respect these
women have for each other seems a contradiction to a sport
that is by definition is based on violence. It is obvious
that the skills and discipline Ashley and other women acquire
in the ring: learning to defend themselves and overcome their
fear, have given them a sense of confidence and pride well
beyond the boxing ring.#
