Hitting below the belt, should it be allowed?

Question

Hi everyone,

So I have an unusual question. I used to take karate and tae kwon do and I made it to Brown belt in Karate and Black belt respectively. I sparred against different people and even fought in some tournaments (Although I was a teenager when I did) some of them were mixed gendered fights but the majority of the time I fought against other girls.

I'm now 27, and have taken up boxing. There are practically no women near me to fight and there are always arguments used to discourage mixed bouts; testosterone gives men a natural advantage in strength and stamina. Many of the guys in the gym I go to workout are reluctant to spar with a woman. I primarily have to share a gym with male boxers and only a couple of other women go there (If I'm lucky to go on a day where another woman is in the gym). Now boxing is a sport that uses upper body strength of which men obviously have much more usually, but it gave me an idea.

In boxing there is a strict rule against hitting "below the belt", it is obviously to prevent blows to mens' testicles. But it is these very organs that give the men their physical advantage over us.
This rule is not as big of a concern for me as a woman (It's far less painful for us than it is for guys in my experience) since we don't have testicles.
Wouldn't it make sense to allow mixed fights, but include the groin in the target area? Surely this would be a fair and simple way to equalize the sexes. I would certainly be willing to participate in such a match, just to see if this is a realistic solution. What do others think?

coffeewithcream · Accepted Answer

Boxing follows a set of strict rules as people have been killed in the ring.
Boxing, since the 20th century gave up unlimited rounds until one side drops. Weight classes emphasize equitable and fair fights. If a boxer is injured and it's determined it's dangerous to continue, the fight is stopped and a TKO awarded.
The rules, set up over long decades, provide a reasonably safe and fair venue.
Your take is, I can't beat men in a fair fight, so let me hit them in the balls.
That take eliminates the reason for fair rules.
By the same logic, males should be allowed to play in female-only sports, women's hockey, women's wrestling, women's soccer, women's golf, because the inherent unfairness of males being stronger could be argued to be discriminatory not to allow it.

Dummy23 · Accepted Answer

I believe it good trian below the belt hits for sled defense. It's valid and very useful especially to women. However I'm against mix gender fighting in sports the reason that guys have to many advantages. To a point I can understand how u think it can equalize it but its to big of a health concern. Testicals regulate hormones can hemerage severally, and even burst. Not to mention it affect his offspring which had no say. Also it doesn't fix the disadvantage and I believe it makes it more dangerous for u. Most decent men will hold back in sparing a women but if ur hurt him there he could lose his temper cause serious brain injury in u. Not to mention he will almost always have longer reach due to most guys being bigger

Secret6620 · Accepted Answer

I think in self defense... With proper padding... It should be fine... But not for basic sparring 😵

Harmseygrace · Accepted Answer

That’s absolutely ridiculous. That will damage them and stop them from having children.

Anonymous · Answer

I don’t think so, necessarily, but not for the same reason that other people are against it. I just don’t think it would change anything.
I’ve taken martial arts since I was five, and I’ve seen dozens of men get hit in the groin. I think I’ve seen a total of one drop to the floor. Most of them weren’t wearing cups either because the only padding allowed was on the head and hands. On the other hand, I’ve seen about eight women get hit in the groin, and each time they dropped to the floor instantly. One threw up, and another blacked out. I got hit in the groin a while back and I couldn’t pull myself up from the mat for half an hour or so. I still think it hurts guys more because they have literal organs hanging between their legs but they get accustomed to pain in that area growing up (see “sack tapping”) whereas we don’t. Also, it doesn’t make a difference who it hurts more when it hurts both parties involved enough to drop them to the floor. That, on top of the fact that men are stronger and faster than women, means that the woman in question still wouldn’t stand much of a chance against a man. Groin strikes being allowed is better than no groin strikes because the more weak spots you have available the less brute force matters, but the fact that it can be used against women means that men will win these fights an overwhelming majority of the time. I think it would be fair to allow only women to strike the groin or allow only women to wear cups, though. The harsh reality of physical fighting is that there’s no way to equalize the sexes. I think I could beat up 90% of guys just because I lift seriously, I’ve been doing martial arts for a while, and I have good genes for speed and power, but a guy with my genetics and training would best me and it would be immature to pretend otherwise. It’s not like sex is the only be-all end-all of fighting, because the same is true of 5’4 guys trying to take on 6’6 guys, or 500 pound fat guys trying to fight bodybuilders. It just isn’t going to happen.

Anonymous · Answer

I know this is an old question but I’ve been browsing the answers for awhile and really wanted to give some input. I am a wrestler and personally I would have no problem with allowing groin strikes for women. I think in boxing and mma the potential for Injury is too high because you are punching and kicking but in wrestling it’s low because there is no striking. Groin grabs and stuff are technically illegal in wrestling but it isn’t something I wouldn’t mind too much if it was legal.

For example, I’ve wrestled co-Ed before, I’ve easily beaten most girls I have a strong build and the only times I’ve lost or even come close to losing was because of a groin strike (which I’m pretty sure was on purpose even if it’s illegal)

The first match I almost lost I was in my revealing singlet I was pinning her pretty easily I was on top of her while she was on her stomach easily controlling her she was powerless I felt her foot/ heel swinging back and she kept hitting me around my waist (she was obviously trying to get my groin) eventually she found her mark and hit right in my balls I rolled off and started massaging myself there luckily for me the round ended right when that happened so I had time to recover I spent at least 30 seconds massaging myself there but I recovered and we started again I easily pinned her after that. She was just too small and wasn’t strong enough.
wrestling in my mind is the perfect sport to allow groin strikes because our tight gear makes our target really easy to aim for and most guys don’t wear cups and even elect to not wear underwear under their singlet but the nature of the sport means these blows will almost always not be hard enough to cause any long term pain.

A revealing singlet (he is wearing spandex underneath though) (by the way for comparison my build is the same as his)

https://images.app.goo.gl/5Cwf8VgoQvKirKLA7 (Views like this are common in wrestling it’s obvious no supporting underwear is being worn)
https://images.app.goo.gl/692yXJ2KhmQZvcri6
https://images.app.goo.gl/FnoJd33wwxmRsBsz5
I think in my sport our gear makes us especially vulnerable to purposeful attack and almost every time I wrestle a girl they always try to hit/grab me there anyways even when it’s illegal so why not give girls this advantage? In wrestling grabs and strikes are low impact and hardly ever hurt longer than a few minutes at most but it is enough to bring me down especially since most of the time I’m not wearing any underwear, I’m big down there and the grabs/slaps, knees are always right on target bc of my revealing gear.
Asker, did you ever wrestle? What do you think of this? If you did wrestle did you aim for that area on purpose anyways? by the way I have another story about an actual lose if you wanna hear it.

s35bonanza · Answer

This was my reply but I’m also going to post it as my opinion!! I totally agree with you!! One reason that keeps men from wanting to fight women is because of the perception they kind of loose either way, if they win big deal they beat a girl, if they lose they are embarrassed losing to a girl. This is why we need to level the playing field, change this perception, and have people realize it is not a matter of a stronger or weaker opponent, we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Allowing her to exploit the vulnerability of his testicles, the very organs that give him his strength to me makes the fight very fair. Guys would not loose every single one of these fights as people have said, I think all fights would have the possibility of being very competitive! There’s no shame in winning or losing a competitive fight. However, can you see how ridiculous it is to say I am much bigger than you, stronger and faster than you, have rules to keep you from striking my most vulnerable spot, and I’m going to wear a padded hard plastic protector over my weakest area so you can not effectively diminish my strength, speed or concentration. That is completely unfair and gives guys winning or losing to a girl a bad rap. If we all know the fight is fair and competitive then all can be good with the outcome. If the male wins he protected his balls, and other parts of his body satisfactorily to come out on top. If the female wins, in whatever fashion it is still fine because she was given an equal shot. Remember while balls are very sensitive they can take just as much abuse as any other part of the body, they are not that delicate, and it would take much more prolonged and constant punishment than a match winning full force strike to the testes to really damage a guy or make him sterile. Just look at what goes on on the internet. This has really changed the perception of how fragile or not a man’s nuts are. We need to stop hiding behind rules and protection and bring all of our assets and liabilities into an equal combat situation!!

Anonymous · Answer

I have trained in kickboxing on and off for years - I have my red belt, although I have never actually competed (this may be about to change) because I train mostly for the fitness and self-defence. I think most regional and national martial arts competitions allow both sexes to wear protective cups because it is equal for both competitors. However, if girls were to start taking on guys in proper competition fights, then for all the physical advantages that guys generally do have over girls - forbidding guys to wear cups and allowing girls to kick the guy’s testicles would certainly level up the competition for sure. At the club where I train, kicks to the groin are allowed during sparring (partners switch randomly so girls do spar with guys), but cups are optional if the individual chooses to wear one. Cups are mandatory for same-sex club competition fights though. The only exception is when someone is being graded for their black belt (and it is common for girls take on guys here), as both must compete without a cup and kicks to the groin are allowed! I would have no problem taking on a girl if she was allowed to kick me in the groin - if a girl is brave enough to take on a guy with all his physical advantages, it only seems fair that she have this ‘leveller’. And I think that most girls would feel way too scared and guilty to ever run up and kick a guy’s testicles her absolute hardest if she knew they were completely unprotected, you know? I would totally support the idea of girls competing against guys without cups being worn and girls being allowed to kick the guy’s testicles - it is a physical ‘leveller’ for sure, and all those who choose to compete would know the rules beforehand. I am not one for competing myself (although this may be about to change), but I would think it fun to take on a girl in a real competition fight under these rules - I would still hope and expect to win of course! ;)

ObiJoe · Answer

This is a very interesting question. I think it would be fun to watch.

It seems to me it would be difficult for most guys to protect their testicles enough to avoid a strike if the match goes on for several rounds. A short fight would seem to favor the guy due to superior strength that could knock out the girl before she has a chance to land such a blow.

So if the girl can exhaust the guy by dodging most punches for a few rounds and waiting for the right opportunity to punch him in the balls, she could win. Remember, it would only take one accurate punch for her to end the fight. It seems unfair, but it would be fair under those rules.

I hate to admit it, but I think a girl who is quick, in shape, and smart could win more often than not because a hit to the nuts is devastating. It's why I think referring to girls as the "weaker sex" is silly.

If you ever get to participate in or see such a match, I'd like to hear about the outcome. Do you think you could win?

MelissaSmith7654321 · Answer

@ericalovescats, I totally agree with you. Rules against hitting below the belt were made by men to protect their fragile testicles and equally fragile egos! Men know that if the groin was made a legal target, women would win the vast majority of fights with men looking pathetic writhing on the ground clutching their precious jewels from one little hit!

Men try to use their natural strength advantage, why shouldn't we be allowed to our advantage of their weak spot? When you played karate and taekwondo, were groin shots allowed? I played taekwondo for a few years when I was in middle school, but groin shots were never allowed unfortunately.

Paige90 · Answer

I don't think it should be fair to hit or kick a guy between his legs as it is simply too painful and too dangerous. You could permanently injure him and if his balls are hit too hard he could lose them. I have only intentionally kicked two guys there and both times it was devasting to them. So I think it should not be allowed in boxing.

RLovesD7792forever · Answer

no because men are still physically stronger in the upper body than women and second hitting in the groin testicles is the equivalent of punching a woman in her ovaries and still expecting her to reproduce afterwards. You damage a guy's ability to reproduce and have children. if you really want to spar against guys what you need to do is compete against men in your own weight class weight division and wear a padded helmet (those red or black padded head gear) and retainer (mouth guard) in your mouth. that's the only way to have a fair fight along with same weight class and not somebody who's bigger than you either

kittenbits · Answer

I don’t agree for either gender to get hit there. Believe it or not even woman can fee pain there from my personal experience also boxing or combat isn’t always about strength and power. It’s about fluidity and fight IQ and conditional. If you don’t want to get hit I suggest a more elusive style

Anonymous · Answer

I kinda agree with you. To be deemed as a skilled fighter, you need to be prepared to defend whatever that you're born with, and know how to strategize and target the opponent's weaknesses. This will also help prepare one to defend oneself in the real world. So fighting with a rule of not being able to hit certain parts because it'll end the fight too soon do seem ridiculous.

But from an entertainment and sporting point of view, it'd be anti-climatic for a fight to end quickly because of a groin hit after weeks or months of hyping up if the sports associations don't place these rules. Even now when a fighter get his groin accidentally hit, even if the ref gives him unlimited time to take a breather, his momentum is already broken, and he's already at a disadvantage being winded. Not to mention the pain never really goes away, so he'll ended up losing the fight after that accidental hit.

Aaron_Stone · Answer

If you dislike fighting person stronger than you then why fight with it.
It's like saying just because someone is stronger than me i should be allowed to poke in eyes or stab that person.
We have separate categories because of this physical difference.
What you're asking is basically cheating because you can't compete with them. If you just want to for the sake winning fight with women.
Let's put your ovaries outside and see who can win.
Testicles are internal organs. I'm sure you're aware of how delicate internal organs are.
It's like fighting with lion when you've cut his paws and broken tooth. Is there even any point where opponent isn't at best.

confusedgamer · Answer

No, it would give women an unfair advantage, 1 hit and we are down. The balls are very sensitive, so 1 hit can floor us, and cause damage severe enough that a hospital visit is required

purplepoppy · Answer

The best way to equalise the sexes would be to use a weight system that pitted a heavier woman against a lighter man.

Daniela1982 · Answer

Not Kosher to do that except if the other side is playing dirty first.

Anonymous · Answer

Allowing low blows would be extremely unfair for men. I like it.

meßis · Answer

no it will be so bad if it is allowed you are only going to foucs to hit the nuts and it is really bad like the hell if you kick a boy there you can see how he fell the pain and if it will be allowed so vagina kick will be allowed do you agree for this

xichuwangwai · Answer

Groin hitting is overrated, the painful expressions mainly just for the referees to notice. For example, when groin hitting was allowed in UFC, there were no painful expressions, they'd just keep fighting. So, groin hitting can't really equalize the sexes, advanced (and new) fighting techniques do, well, for a period of time.
And besides, rule changing is certainly a big deal, they have to seriously consider if it will harm the sport, by sport I mean incomes.

standardguy · Answer

I think that a man (with and without a under the belt rule) is always the looser. If he wins all say that it is not a great deal to win against a woman. And if he looses he is ridiculous to be bet by a woman. So better he does not fight against women. And of course if bests below the belt are allowed he will loose 100% of the fights because this target is too easy stricken.

BeMuse · Answer

Sports have rules. If you don't like the sport's rules find a different sport. You think you'd have an advantage if you took away the rules? That's hilarious. What would you do when men who are on average taller than women chopped your knees until your legs broke and then ripped out your eyeballs and throat punched you until you died?

dimplexfan · Answer

In a typical matchup i. e. an average guy and an average girl, it would give the girl too significant an advantage and wouldn't be fair at all.

While the guy may be stronger, the girl can still block his strikes to mitigate their impact, however it doesn't work the same way with the male groin - a blocked kick, punch or knee down there is still going to be debilitating. I suppose he could try dodging, but given the law of averages it's really only a matter of time until he sustains a hit there.

On the other hand, if the guy is particularly strong, for instance an experienced weightlifter, then she will lose that advantage because she likely won't be able to withstand the sheer strength behind his strikes.

But yeah, most of the time it wouldn't be fair for the guy, not to mention that a fight ending that abruptly is pretty boring.

Hitting below the belt, should it be allowed?

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