Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Theory of Boxing for Weirdos and Queerdos: an Autoethnographic Fiction and Phenomenological account
Location
1047
Format Type
Event
Format Type
Workshop
Start Date
January 2018
End Date
January 2018
Abstract
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Theory of Boxing for Weirdos and Queerdos: an Autoethnographic Fiction and Phenomenological account
sam smiley, Independent Scholar - Rocketscience@astrodime.org
I am a researcher, educator, and performance and video artist. I have been studying boxing and martial arts since February of 2016. I am doing this for mental agility. As a female bodied person, it’s been hard to fit in the context of the sport of boxing. It’s also hard for male bodied friends of mine who are gay.
Therefore, I propose a theory of learning martial arts called The Mary Shelley Frankenstein Theory of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. It is a theory in which marginalized populations are denied access to knowledge and information based on their gender or sexual orientation. How do those populations do work arounds so that we can continue to learn the craft? I am using an autoethnographic approach triangulated by research and experiences in literature. Later on in my research, would also like to collect stories from women and queers about their experiences in martial arts and boxing, but I am at the exploratory and phenomenological stage at this point for my own lived experience.
The Mary Shelley Frankenstein Theory of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts goes as follows: For weirdos and queerdos to get knowledge to mainstream activities, we need to apply a feminist theory of “stitching” together from different disciplines rather than relying on a sole male cisgendered “guru” who will either not share information or withhold information for sex. Not every male cisgendered person does that, but my own experience shows that many do.
EXAMPLE and METHODS: In order to learn the Sport of Boxing (outside the ring) as someone who is queer and female bodied, I had to “stitch” together information from 3 different instructors. Then because no one in those communities would spar with me consistently (sparring is where you really learn the craft) I stitched together various movements using dance so I could remember them until I found someone to spar with. My sparring partner is a 2spirit gay man who respects my queer self.
Then I found a male cisgendered capoeira instructor who shared information with me and respected me as a martial artist because he saw what I was trying to do. That was a turning point. I used Capoeira as the thread to hold the boxdancing (boxbailando) together. As a result, I was able to come up with new methods, and after a year of consistent practice earn the partial respect of the cisgendered male boxers in my original class.
Shortly after I realized only queers and weirdos would spar with me, I started a “Weirdos and Queerdos Boxing Club” page on Facebook. It is a closed group by invite only for the protection of the people in it. This is where people who are weird and queer can find sparring partners outside the norm of heterosexual cisgendered male performances of boxing and sparring.
Currently I do street performances in Provincetown, Massachusetts where I live combining boxing, capoeira and dance. My presentation will comprise a narrative and performance of the lived experience and phenomena of being in the body of a female bodied novice boxer and martial artist.
I can do this as a 20 minute presentation but I can also do it as a 20 minute presentation and 20-30 minute group exercise. I am getting my fitness for group classes so I should be certified by then. My qualitative research methods to date have been influenced by the “sociology of the body” accounting of Loïc Wacquant and his ethnographic fieldnotes in the South Side of Chicago, during his work as a participant observer of the boxing culture there. Uekrongtham, E. (2004). Beautiful Boxer. GMM Pictures.
Wacquant, L. (2004). Body and Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer. Oxford University Press, USA.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Theory of Boxing for Weirdos and Queerdos: an Autoethnographic Fiction and Phenomenological account
1047
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Theory of Boxing for Weirdos and Queerdos: an Autoethnographic Fiction and Phenomenological account
sam smiley, Independent Scholar - Rocketscience@astrodime.org
I am a researcher, educator, and performance and video artist. I have been studying boxing and martial arts since February of 2016. I am doing this for mental agility. As a female bodied person, it’s been hard to fit in the context of the sport of boxing. It’s also hard for male bodied friends of mine who are gay.
Therefore, I propose a theory of learning martial arts called The Mary Shelley Frankenstein Theory of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. It is a theory in which marginalized populations are denied access to knowledge and information based on their gender or sexual orientation. How do those populations do work arounds so that we can continue to learn the craft? I am using an autoethnographic approach triangulated by research and experiences in literature. Later on in my research, would also like to collect stories from women and queers about their experiences in martial arts and boxing, but I am at the exploratory and phenomenological stage at this point for my own lived experience.
The Mary Shelley Frankenstein Theory of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts goes as follows: For weirdos and queerdos to get knowledge to mainstream activities, we need to apply a feminist theory of “stitching” together from different disciplines rather than relying on a sole male cisgendered “guru” who will either not share information or withhold information for sex. Not every male cisgendered person does that, but my own experience shows that many do.
EXAMPLE and METHODS: In order to learn the Sport of Boxing (outside the ring) as someone who is queer and female bodied, I had to “stitch” together information from 3 different instructors. Then because no one in those communities would spar with me consistently (sparring is where you really learn the craft) I stitched together various movements using dance so I could remember them until I found someone to spar with. My sparring partner is a 2spirit gay man who respects my queer self.
Then I found a male cisgendered capoeira instructor who shared information with me and respected me as a martial artist because he saw what I was trying to do. That was a turning point. I used Capoeira as the thread to hold the boxdancing (boxbailando) together. As a result, I was able to come up with new methods, and after a year of consistent practice earn the partial respect of the cisgendered male boxers in my original class.
Shortly after I realized only queers and weirdos would spar with me, I started a “Weirdos and Queerdos Boxing Club” page on Facebook. It is a closed group by invite only for the protection of the people in it. This is where people who are weird and queer can find sparring partners outside the norm of heterosexual cisgendered male performances of boxing and sparring.
Currently I do street performances in Provincetown, Massachusetts where I live combining boxing, capoeira and dance. My presentation will comprise a narrative and performance of the lived experience and phenomena of being in the body of a female bodied novice boxer and martial artist.
I can do this as a 20 minute presentation but I can also do it as a 20 minute presentation and 20-30 minute group exercise. I am getting my fitness for group classes so I should be certified by then. My qualitative research methods to date have been influenced by the “sociology of the body” accounting of Loïc Wacquant and his ethnographic fieldnotes in the South Side of Chicago, during his work as a participant observer of the boxing culture there. Uekrongtham, E. (2004). Beautiful Boxer. GMM Pictures.
Wacquant, L. (2004). Body and Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer. Oxford University Press, USA.
Comments
Boxbailando to Bomba Estéro's "Soy Yo"
Example of Boxbailando.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktlZpKm4RkA