Jump to content

Menu

Would you let your 7yo son wrestle a girl?


Would you let your 7yo wrestle a girl?  

98 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you let your 7yo wrestle a girl?

    • Yes at any age
      115
    • No at any age
      171
    • Yes until older
      57
    • I wouldn't let my son wrestle anyone
      22
    • Other
      10


Recommended Posts

No.

 

Sports which require that degree of intense and continuous physical proximity would have to be practiced in a sex-segregated setting, especially given the aggressive undertone of the sport itself. There is no way I would allow my daughters to mingle with men or men-to-be in such a fashion. I do not see a "big deal" when it comes to 7 year olds, but at that age I would not allow it, if for no better reason, than simply not to set up a precedent.

 

Fencing is just about the most "aggressive" and the "closest" (physically) thing I would allow for a direct one on one, boy and girl kind of sport. Nothing that is "more" than that. Wrestling is way out of any acceptable parameters for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm assuming (because of the quotation marks) that you're referring to my post.

All I can say to that is, to each his/her own. My boy will still not drag your girl to the ground, hold her down, and then call it victory. {shrug} :001_smile:

 

I should hope not because my girl is only 11. I see your boys are much older. She, on the other hand, would be perfectly willing to drag a boy to the ground, hold him down, and call it victory LOL.

 

But yes, like you said, to each his (or her) own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really know enough about wrestling, I guess - reading some of these posts has given me the icks!!! :D

 

However, I originally voted yes because I was thinking about it in terms of martial arts (and I think it is more dis-similar from that than I thought) - I did martial arts as a youth and was quite good at it, and I found it very frustrating when men/boys didn't want to spar me because I was a female. There's a lot more that goes into it, but suffice to say... that made me bitter and angry and against the "males must be chivalrous" thing. :) If I had been in a form of martial arts more similar to wrestling (something with a lot more take-downs, hands-on fighting) I would still have considered it a denigration of my skills to be refused a fight with a person of comparable ability.

 

I never did wrestling, but I would assume that... being turned down as an opponent for nothing more than gender would have been a highly irritating thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really know enough about wrestling, I guess - reading some of these posts has given me the icks!!! :D

 

However, I originally voted yes because I was thinking about it in terms of martial arts (and I think it is more dis-similar from that than I thought) - I did martial arts as a youth and was quite good at it, and I found it very frustrating when men/boys didn't want to spar me because I was a female. There's a lot more that goes into it, but suffice to say... that made me bitter and angry and against the "males must be chivalrous" thing. :) If I had been in a form of martial arts more similar to wrestling (something with a lot more take-downs, hands-on fighting) I would still have considered it a denigration of my skills to be refused a fight with a person of comparable ability.

 

I never did wrestling, but I would assume that... being turned down as an opponent for nothing more than gender would have been a highly irritating thing.

 

Yeah, it makes me very grateful for the guys in my aikido club, where I frequently end up being the only female.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

far too physical of a sport for me to be comfortable with it in a mixed-gender setting. I wouldn't dream of doing that with a man, and I would never allow my son to wrestle against a girl. Not interested in whether she thinks it's okay - I think we have to teach our children to stand up for themselves and say "no" to things they are not comfortable with, male or female. And my sons would NOT be comfortable with it.

 

Most sports do not involve the intensity of physical contact that wrestling does. My son plays tennis against girls all the time - usually not in formal competition, but he trains with them and plays sets against them. I'm always delighted when a girl beats him:) I consider it one point for the sisterhood! But I would never allow my son to wrestle against a girl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really know enough about wrestling, I guess - reading some of these posts has given me the icks!!! :D

 

However, I originally voted yes because I was thinking about it in terms of martial arts (and I think it is more dis-similar from that than I thought) - I did martial arts as a youth and was quite good at it, and I found it very frustrating when men/boys didn't want to spar me because I was a female. There's a lot more that goes into it, but suffice to say... that made me bitter and angry and against the "males must be chivalrous" thing. :) If I had been in a form of martial arts more similar to wrestling (something with a lot more take-downs, hands-on fighting) I would still have considered it a denigration of my skills to be refused a fight with a person of comparable ability.

 

I never did wrestling, but I would assume that... being turned down as an opponent for nothing more than gender would have been a highly irritating thing.

 

The wrestling sometimes looks icky and I think it is because of two things. The first is the singlet. It is too small. The second are the body control movements. People are grabbing stuff.

 

It is very different between watching and doing. People who don't know that much about wrestling see the uniform. People who do know about wrestling know that it's basically fighting and all that "weirdness" goes out the window.

 

When I first started BJJ, I was really hesitant about being that close quarters to men and BJJ has some karma sutra looking positions. I got over that very quickly. The physical and mental exertion that is required and that just naturally happens makes you view the physical contact totally differently.

 

I do submission wrestling and BJJ.

 

With regards to self defense, it is really important for girls and women to know how to react when some man gets his paws on you and when he does, he isn't going to be gentlemanly about it. If a girl is flat on her back and in the r@pe position, punching and kicking will not work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We allow it, if they want to wrestle girls. The first time my oldest ds had to wrestle a girl he asked me if he should. I told him it was up to him, but she came to compete. She practiced hard and came to use her skills like he did. He won but felt awkward.

 

His younger brothers aren't bothered by wrestling girls at all.

 

I've seen the looks on the girls' faces who've won on a forfeit. They all look disappointed before being cheered for their win by family. They work very hard too...and not to be handed wins for stepping on to the mat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 7yo son is in wrestling. It would not thrill me at any age, but I also feel there is not a lot you can do about it. I admire kids who have taken a stand and forfeited a match in order to not wrestle a girl, but I would not require my son to do so. I can't really understand why any parent with a daughter wants their daughter to be grabbed all over by boys and pinned to a mat, but I've certainly witnessed it, so...:confused: I think some people are just determined to try and have their daughters break down perceived gender barriers and get carried away in the face of some things that truly should not be for females. Wrestling is one of them, IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Yes.

 

Matwork in Judo is quite similar to wrestling. We often have wrestlers come in the off season to practice and learn different techniques. My boys have done, and still do, matwork with girls, and I've done, and still do, matwork with men. It can seem weird when you're watching. But once you're out there, you realize that the only thing you're thinking about is not getting pinned.

 

My boys know to not use Judo off the mats against either gender, unless they need to defend themselves. We're raising them to be gentlemen (holding doors, etc), and I don't see this as a conflict.

 

:iagree: Except we're a BJJ family, and I have a daughter. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For starters, to learn self-defense.

 

 

Wow yeah I missed that. To learn self defense, self confidence, assertiveness, stamina, etc. They could do this with a martial art or some such but if their preference or interest is wrestling or that's what's available or the instruction seems better or it's free because it's in school or whatever the case is that led to that decision, that's their choice. Why make it sound like it's something creepy or dirty or asking for trouble? This is still a sport with all the inherent benefits of that sport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not want my dd to wrestle but women's wrestling is an Olympic Event so there are enough females who are interested to make it so. The problem is that in each individual area of the country there is unlikely enough interest to have girls' wrestling in leagues like they have for boys so the girls who want competition wrestle against the boys until they can get to a level or area that has a training facility for girls.

 

One of the clubs where my ds trained when he was 9 or 10yo specialized in women's wrestling because one of the coaches coached women competing to qualify for the Olympics. There was one girl my ds's age and quite a few women in their late teens and 20s plus the boys who outnumbered the girls by over 3:1. So, the women/girls trained with the men/boys at times...it was good training for the females and they were good practice partners because they were all very serious about their wrestling. My ds trained with the girl his age as they were the same weight. She wasn't as strong as ds but she worked hard and was a good practice partner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
Guest mzizzy101

I think a boy can wrestle a girl no matter what the age. My daughter is 12 and she takes Karate and she fights boys from all ages. She also wrestles her cousins at home and she has fun. It doesn't matter what gender or the age of the child as long as he/she is ok and is having fun. If it's something he/she wants to do let them do it. So just :chillpill: and let them have fun as a child, pre-teen, or teen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If a 7 year old girl is the type to wrestle, she is probably completely capable of wrestling a boy or a girl. If they were 12, I'd say no, but I don't see the problem with it at this young of an age. I think our society puts too much sexual stuff on children than is clearly an adult problem. Children are children and should be allowed to stay children until they are older. It isn't right to expect a child to act like an adult or to understand what adults understand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No. Age 6 or 7 is where I begin to draw the line at co-ed stuff in general, and I have a 6yo dd. I am already gently encouraging her to stop playing with boys, and play with girls instead. Partly I draw the line there for religious reasons, partly modesty reasons. I've known 7yo girls who were already entering pre-puberty or even early puberty, and I don't feel that physical contact with the opposite s-x is a good idea.

 

IMO, while yes girls are fully capable of going into the sport of wrestling, I would much rather, if it were my daughter, see her in a less physical contact type sport such as martial arts. And even then I'd prefer her to either be in a female only class, or only spar with other girls.

 

If roles were reversed and I had a boy, I'd gently explain to him that our religious views do not allow him to wrestle a girl, and we can either a. forfeit the match, or b. see if they can offer a religious accommodation to allow him to wrestle a boy instead, and give him the choice of which he'd rather do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a boy can wrestle a girl no matter what the age. My daughter is 12 and she takes Karate and she fights boys from all ages. She also wrestles her cousins at home and she has fun. It doesn't matter what gender or the age of the child as long as he/she is ok and is having fun. If it's something he/she wants to do let them do it. So just :chillpill: and let them have fun as a child, pre-teen, or teen.

 

 

Everyone has been chill-pilled for over a year now. This conversation ended in January of 2012.

 

Interesting first post!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone has been chill-pilled for over a year now. This conversation ended in January of 2012.

 

Interesting first post!

 

 

I was going to say the same thing.

 

I should probably take this to the admin thread, but is it still not possible for posters other than the OP to add tags? It would be so useful to be able to add "resurrected thread" tags.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely yes. I'd prefer to teach my son that it takes a real man not to be a chauvinist like John Piper.

 

If a girl/woman is good enough to compete then taking a loss denies that person equal opportunity. Very ungentlemanly behavior.

 

Bill

 

Totally agree. And as a woman (and the mother of a son), I am pretty floored that so many of you are this sexist. Sad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the OP posted the age of her child, my response is "yes, until older". My DS is almost 6 and spars every week with girls in the 6-10 age group for his marial arts and it is OK at that age - I have no problems whatsoever with it until my son turns 10. My son does not know the difference between boys and girls (same for all the 7 year old boys in his large sparring group). My son's close friends constitute both boys and girls and he considers sparring with a girl as no different than when sparring with a boy. I have issues with co-ed wrestling/sparring etc beyond the age of 10 and would definitely not allow it. But, as a woman, it is great to see some of those little girls in his class who are so agile, coordinated, graceful, nimble, quick witted and athletic and able to spar, duck blows and counter attack and take down most boys in their group (btw/ they all wear full body sparring gear with helmets etc and are supervised, so no children are harmed in the making of a sparring champion!). I wish I had such training when I was under 10 years old!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...