Ambivalent lives, fighting bodies : women and combat sports in Brazil

We start by giving a brief explanation of the misogynist mentalities that were behind the CND legislation on women’s sport. In this section, we explain how this law influenced the development of female combat sports in Brazil. Then, we map out ‘inside and outside’ (Miller and Glassner, 2011) research routes through the world of the female combat sports scene. Next, after outlining our theoretical framework (Butler, 2011, with the help of Goldenberg, 2006), we give voice to the Brazilian women fighters. Their voices will indicate that even while showing ambiguity towards their own bodies in a male-dominated sports territory, and even with the prejudices that have always tormented them, these fighters, in an ambivalent movement, are breaking barriers and promoting a better acceptance and understanding of combat sport fighters in the broader society.