Iraqi Bushra Abdul Zahra challenged the stereotypes and traditions of her society and decided to learn martial arts such as karate and boxing.
Bushra, 36, a mother of two based in the Iraqi city of Najaf, said she faced many difficulties, and a strong opposition from her family and society that believe such sports are unsuitable for women.
She started teaching karate in a gym, and then, boxing. She even turned a room in her house into a training space. “I was a fitness trainer for 15 years, taught swimming, and I currently work in a gym. To develop my skills, I started with karate, practiced it for four years, and won championships. Then I decided to practice boxing, and I always watch YouTube videos of martial arts to improve myself,” she told Reuters.
“I faced many difficulties and obstacles as I live in a conservative community. However, despite all these challenges, I proved I am capable of practicing these sports and won gold medallions,” she added.
International coach Saadoun Jallawi was surprised by the remarkable number of women and girls willing to learn martial arts and self-defense.
“We launched martial arts classes for women as individual sports, and we saw a significant turnout from girls, as well as mothers willing to enroll their daughters to learn martial arts to defend themselves against recurrent attacks.”
