Back in September, jiu-jitsu athlete Taelor Moore fought an opponent who was not only more than 60 pounds heavier than her, but was a male. She was not warned she would be fighting a man. Afterward, the North American Grappling Association clarified its policy to say that women should be informed when facing a male opponent who identifies as a female, and given the option to opt out. As policies go, this one isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
In October, a man took four gold medals at a women’s jiu-jitsu competition in Georgia, and some divisions consisted of more male competitors than females. This, one of the female competitors, said has left “(t)he majority of the women scared to even speak out about this matter. … There’s so many girls just not signing up now because they are allowing this.”
That much should be obvious. Allowing men to fight women is not only unfair, it’s dangerous. How many men will take home medals or women will take home injuries before that message gets through?
Breakpoint