Women’s Health UK – September 2019

112 | SEPTEMBER 2019

courage in other situations. That’s why

I really need it,’ she says. ‘It was difficult for

my brothers to accept in the beginning, as it’s

not common to see women boxing in Iraq.

But their point of view is changing since

they’ve seen the impact it has on me.’ And

what an impact. ‘I feel powerful when I do

a jab cross,’ she says. Does she visualise

anyone when she’s hurling punches? ‘Yes,

of course. I visualise ISIS. It happens to

me when I do boxing, especially when I’m

very upset,’ she shares. ‘But I realise that,

after every class, I’m more mentally relaxed,

because I get this anger and depression out

from inside me. Boxing helps me to be strong.’

Fellow trainee Hussna was studying in

secondary school with aspirations to be

an architect when ISIS stormed her village.

Unlike Nadifa, Hussna was a sports-mad

child. She grew up watching boxing. Her

favourite? Former heavyweight champion

Wladimir Klitschko. ‘First, I was just

watching, but now I’m actually practising.

It’s an amazing feeling,’ she enthuses after

class. Hussna is determined to become a

professional boxer, and she’s donning her

gloves for an hour every day to hone her

technique. ‘My family has seen that boxing

gives me self-confidence and that I’m

going to be able to fight against everything,

and they’re proud of me,’ she explains.

As she talks, it becomes clear that the idea at the

heart of this programme is deeply resonant. ‘One

day, we faced such a problem, such a trauma. But

now we’re going to defend ourselves... I need to

change my predicament into something that’s

going to affect me positively.’

STRESS RESPONSE

Both Nadifa and Hussna’s experiences echo what

Cathy discovered when she first took up boxing

27 years ago: that balling your hand into a fist and

delivering a punch provides a potent psychological

reward beyond the buzz of endorphins. Mounting

research confirms the mental health benefits of

physical activity; a recent study from the University

of Vermont went so far as to endorse exercise as

a fundamental treatment in inpatient psychiatric

facilities, with researchers noting it could reduce

both reliance on medication and admittance

times for conditions as varied as depression and

schizophrenia. It follows a review of clinical trials

published in 2018 in the journal Depression And

Anxiety, which found that a schedule of three 45-

minute cardio sessions a week wrought a notable

antidepressant effect on participants with clinical

depression. As yet, there is scant evidence to

substantiate the benefits of combat sports on people

who have experienced trauma and associated mood

disorders – anxiety and depression – but, what

exists is encouraging. In San Diego, California,

7,000 miles away from Iraqi Kurdistan, US Army

veteran and PTSD sufferer Todd Vance set up his

own mixed martial arts fight club POW in 2012.

Today, he runs 19 free-of-charge sessions per

month for fellow veterans and tracks their

stress and PTSD coping mechanisms. His data

is self-reported, but impressive: 80% of the

participants reported ‘improved ability to cope

with stress and symptoms of PTSD’ and 79%

Women’s Health

‘Key is the way combat sports impact

inflammation and cortisol regulation’

Above left: Hussna catches

a punch from a fellow trainee

Far right: Fighting stance

Inset, right: Lotus Flower

Foundation founder Taban Shoresh

Below right: Preparing to train

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