The Liberated Woman

As the reader will see, this story unfolds into a natural progression of change. Change in the writer's perception, and change in the Grandmaster's teaching, and thinking of a woman, as a fighter. For he had not ever trained a woman to become an Mixed Martial Arts Fighter. It then appears the writer's husband sees what someone who isn't in the fight gym may see. The author's husband prods his wife to go become a fighter. The Grandmaster has seen it too, that is there no difference from the men who want to fight, and the women who want to fight. The author of this book originally is training in self-defense with Phil Dunlap, a Grandmaster. As this book progresses, the molding, and shaping of the two personalities continues to evolve. It appears as to the point where there are no differences between a man becoming a fighter or a woman becoming a fighter, and how they are trained, it is about the personality of the individual, not the gender. It is eventually realized, fighting is not gender specific, as many would have believed or believe. Yet it is a choice of activity for a variety of reasons. As the author of this book to the readers, the dynamics of the time, the presence of minds that are thinking congruently, and the doors opening for women's combat sports. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Plenty of obstacles had to be overcome. Especially when it came to how match-makers, promoters, referees, judges, athletic commissions, medical staff, audiences, other coaches, fighters, family, friends and the community would do everything to deter Phil Dunlap and Jody-Lynn Reicher from the process of getting fights for her. At times the world seemed against the idea of a married-working-woman, a mother of two becoming a fighter. This all transpired into becoming more complicated with a variety of obstacles, one being her age. Phil would say that it was a matter of understanding how supportive a husband, a coach and team-mates at times could all help create an inertia in a coach and a fighter. That also perhaps, not many would agree with the idea of a woman wanting to defend herself either. And maybe, many wouldn't agree with her on learning how to fight in any capacity. This was due to the chronological age of the individual presented here. That usually was double the age of a person who typically is in an athletic career, let alone a combat sport. A working-mother of two school-aged children, married, who originally did nothing but compete in running for her athletic career for thirty-three years, was now up for an athletic career change while approaching her fifties. Phil Dunlap would say, "As long as your husband is okay with it. And you can be a Mom and conduct business first, then fight second. I don't have a problem with it."