Practicing Otherwise: Feminist Boxing Challenges Mainstream Narratives of Combat Sports

Over the past two decades, the presence of women in amateur, professional, and commercial boxing contexts has gradually increased, including in Italy. This chapter presents results of an ethnographic research carried out in two community Italian boxing gyms: ‘Le Sberle’ in Milan and ‘Te Ciacco’ in Naples (the two major cities in the North, Milan, and the South, Naples, of Italy). Both gyms are situated in spaces that are frequently occupied by feminist collectives, establishing a link between these boxing gyms and subjectivities already marked by a political context. This chapter fits within a gender studies and queer theory approach and is grounded in a participatory observation. The results presented here are derived from first-hand observations and interviews conducted in both gyms. The experiences cited show how there is a two-way relationship between the subversion of gender norms and hegemonic masculinity that typically pertains to boxing gyms. They illustrate how the activity in and around these Italian gyms helps to challenge mainstream narratives of boxing by giving voice to experiences and practices that come from within Italian social and feminist movements. This chapter captures the experiences of participates within this particular Italian context in an attempt to rethink how to practice and experience sport.