Fitness
This Saudi boxer is putting the jab into gender stereotypes
Saudi Arabia is known for its conservative nature but there are people willing to challenge that narrative. Step forward Halah Alhamrani, a boxer who wants to empower Saudi women through exercise.
Halah Alhamrani is a woman who defies the conventions and social norms. She’s from Saudi Arabia, she’s a boxer and she owns and runs the first and only boxing and martial art gym for women in Saudi Arabia.
In Halah’s gym, which is called Flagboxing, the women of Jeddah learn the true meaning of empowerment: They come out of it feeling strong in both body and mind. Fitness classes such as callisthenics, boxing and kickboxing are offered at the gym but the place is about much more than just exercising. We talked to Halah about how she's become a guiding light for many women in a male-dominated society.
Halah Alhamrani at her Flagboxing gym in Jeddah
© Dominique Granger
When did you start the Flagboxing gym?
I started about 15 years ago in my parents’ house, I had a little part of their swimming pool room which I used as my gym and trained people there. The name flagboxing came to me about four years ago when I started my Instagram page. I wanted something that would be powerful, that would kind of strike a chord in people, and it didn’t take me very long to come up with the words “Fight like a Girl.” About two years ago, I opened my first gym in Jeddah.
How did you get into boxing?
I was introduced to martial arts at a really young age. I was really blessed to have gone to a private school in Saudi Arabia that allowed and encouraged such activities for girls. This is almost unheard of, and still is to this day in many schools here. I was exposed to karate there. Throughout the preceding years since then I’ve done many forms of martial arts. When I went to university in the United States I started to train in Muay Thai. While I was there my style kind of changed from Muay Thai to kickboxing to boxing.
It's been quite the personal journey for Alhamrani
© Dominique Granger
Before you went to the States, was it hard in Saudi to find somebody to coach you?
Absolutely. It was impossible. Even for me right now to be honest it’s still quite hard. I still train with men because I can’t even find a woman to hold the boxing pads for me who’s knowledgeable enough to do that. Normally I reach out to any female coaches that I can find, and they are usually from abroad. I’ve never trained with a Saudi man either.
Is it because Saudi men don’t want to train with a woman or there aren't many about?
There are NONE! No actually, there are some men here in Saudi and while they approach me and say that they are very proud of what I am doing, Saudi men and women don’t mix. Mostly the men that are comfortable to train me are Arab men, but not Saudi.
We know that you you don’t like flagboxing being called a “an underground gym.” How was it though at the beginning, did you have to kind of keep it low key or to hide what you were doing?
No, I never felt like I've had to keep anything low key because I was training out of my parent’s house. When I started, there was no such thing as social media. Because of that, everything was word of mouth, and here, it plays a huge role. You would be surprised how many people get to know about what you do just by talking to each other. So I found out right away that women were interested in martial arts, and combat sports, and in training in kickboxing and boxing.
Why do you think women are interested in these sports?
I think they view it as a way to getting over feelings of aggression that they might have and are trying to get out, or maybe even as stress relief. That’s normally why people approach me, especially Saudi girls, when they are interested in boxing or kickboxing. It’s that stress relief that they are looking for: “I have so many problems in my life I just want to punch them out”. That’s really what their initial attraction is towards the sport.
Flagboxing has given Saudi women an outlet to express themselves
© Dominique Granger
Do you think after that initial reaction that it then becomes more about feeling strong and empowered?
Big time. I’ve said it before, and it is really true: Women find their voice here in the gym. I’ve had ladies here who have been shy, or have let people use them and abuse them. Through coming to boxing and kickboxing training they have found their voice and have found their inner power. It’s not something that happens consciously, it really happens subconsciously. Over time you start to feel all this strength. And what’s more important to me is that by empowering your body, you're empowering your mind. And the women find that, they do.
Anywhere else in the world, this is the norm, but this is a country where the women need it, they need to feel empowered in some part of their lives. It’s necessary.
Alhamrani's role at the gym is multi-faceted including being a mentor
© Dominique Granger
Would you say there is a particular type of women that come to the Flagboxing?
I would say it’s a little bit of everything. You will find women who have had sports in their lives, you will find women that had never had sports in her life. I have girls who are 14 years old and above but I’ve also had 70 years old women walk in here. I can’t pinpoint a specific type.
Some will stay and be able to gain that empowerment from it, and want it, and others will leave either by choice or if their significant others are not happy with the empowerment that the gym gives to women. I’ve had that before. That’s a very sad moment. I’ve actually cried when this has happened. I’m like “but this is so good for you! Why would they not want that.”
Is it because the men feel threatened?
Yes, because they feel threatened. Absolutely.
What do you say to women who are scared of what the people around them would think if they did a sport like boxing, or other non-traditional sports?
I think there are levels of fear with women here in Saudi. Some of them fear the sport because they have not been exposed to sports at all. Boxing and kickboxing is a very intimidating sport to think about joining. That’s one level of fear. Another one is about what their families might say about doing something that is very male-dominant. It’s a very difficult situation for me because I don’t want women to do something that might not be accepted by their families.
I try to encourage women by saying “you’ll never know unless you try and to put yourself in an uncomfortable position.” We know they are scared to attend but try and make the class as comfortable as possible.
Encouragement and advice are constant. Everyone supports each other
© Dominique Granger
What does “being fearless” mean to you?
To me being fearless means stepping out of your comfort zone. I’ll be very honest. I can be great on the pads and in the gym and hit things hard… that’s my comfort zone. But then when I put myself in sparring classes or when I start sparring with my opponents that can be a mental block. I always fear that I won’t be good enough. Sometimes I avoid sparring because I’m too scared to fail. What worries me is that I will fail to be as good as I want to be. But if I’m going to overcome my fears and try to be fearless I have to put myself in uncomfortable situations.
Can you name one other fearless woman out there? Someone who inspires you?
It’s very difficult for me to say just one person because I’m surrounded by people who are inspiration and have shown that they are fearless. My mother was definitely someone who showed that she was fearless by coming to this country and marrying a Saudi. At that time, in the '70s, there was very little that the country had to offer in terms of a lifestyle. When I look I that, I think she showed that she was very fearless. Even something as little as my younger sister moving to the States recently with her four kids and no help inspires. Women who are like that are everywhere around me.
One of the best things about owning an all-women gym is that you get to hear all these incredible stories of women being fearless. I can’t really pinpoint any one person, but I can say Saudi Arabia is filled with women that have shown incredible courage throughout their lives.
Check out the stories of more Fearless Women in this series by clicking on the related stories below:
