Sassie Says by Cassie Rodish

Staying strong in the shadows
We’ve all heard Women’s MMA won’t last a million times.
Men don’t want to train with girls
Fans don’t want to see women get hurt
and my favorite
There is no depth in the weight divisions

I believe there is a little truth in each the these three statements but with a little hard work we can shatter these stereotypes
Men don’t want to train with girls. This is a subject that is close to my heart. If you are truly interested in being a female fighter, amongst the men, be prepared to work longer and harder. If you work hard and put your time on the mat you will gain the respect of the team and coaches. When its time to spar or roll with the guys, don’t get down on yourself. You are going to come across those guys that don’t want to train, get hit by or tapped out to a girl. I’m the only girl in the gym and many times I’m the last to get a partner. Don’t let it bug you. Keep pushing forward and show them you aren’t a quitter. It will take time for some people to get use to the fact that a girl can do the same thing they can, if not better. I tell myself all the time if I get tapped out 50 times, that is 50 times that I learned how not to. Practice makes perfection




Work harder than the guys


One of my biggest pet peeves is when women come into the gym in skimpy little shorts and a sports bra and want to try a jits class. This is very disrespectful, to the guys, their significant others and for other women. I’m very concisions of the way I dress for each class. I’ve been with the same group of guys for 4yrs. Not once have I had any drama or sexual issues with anyone in the gym. You can quickly make the wrong name for yourself. No one will take you seriously if they think you are there to get a date. Have respect for the girlfriends/ wives of the other fighters. I wouldn’t want my husband rolling around with some chick in a hussy outfit. The gym is not a runway show. Stay professional and you will keep your integrity. Stay Strong in the Shadows
Fans don’t want to see women getting hurt. My thoughts are; if someone doesn’t want to see people getting hurt it really doesn’t matter if it is male or female. From my experience the audience goes crazy when the women fights start. I believe that we make a much bigger impact on fans. They aren’t expecting women to come out with athleticism and technique. Keep training and fighting hard and soon cards will have equal men’s and women’s bouts. Stay strong in the Shadows


Train and Fight Hard

There is no depth in the women’s divisions. This really chaps me because it’s kind of a catch 22 for us. We aren’t getting fights because there’s no depth. It’s nearly impossible to afford to train full time . We don’t get sponsors because we don’t get those big show fights. We need a few big shows to make the commitment to females and in a year or two you will see some of the best athletes in the world emerge. There is no depth because no one is looking!!!! Stay strong in the shadows