The martial arts arena in Saudi Arabia is no longer a realm relegated to men, where male competitors compete in intricate combat, while women watch from their couches at home. Many Saudi women are taking up martial arts, and doing it so well that they are going professional and participating in international competitions, often receiving top accolades. These are some of their stories.
Hala Al Hamarni
Hala has loved boxing since she was a child. She started training when she was twelve years old and has never stopped. She has been trained by international experts, and has received professional certificates in a number of power sports and self-defense. Her love for boxing led her to open a center in Jeddah to teach Saudi women the art of punching.
Hadeel Saeed Al-Hathli
18-year-old Hadeel is the first Saudi woman to obtain a black belt in karate. She started training in martial arts when she was just three years old and today she trains non-stop. Utilizing her skills and experience, she now works as an awe-inspiring a karate trainer despite her young age.
Wijdan Shaherkhani
Wijdan is a 21 year old Saudi judo expert who inherited her love of the sport from her father who refereed judo championships. She received her blue belt after practicing judo for only two years and obtained the admiration of many sports personalities. Wijdan represented Saudi Arabia in the 2012 London Olympics as one of the first two Saudi women to ever do so, taking an immense step forward for Saudi women in sport.
Martial arts not only build strength, flexibility and endurance, but also discipline; they do not rely on size for power, using leverage to create an advantage, and they teach combat techniques that can be used for self-defense. In short, martial arts are actually a pretty perfect sport for women, so move over men and make room for the women!
