Beautiful Badass

Life’s a cage fight: Unleash your Badass

BY JACLYN ROOF

DO YOU EVER find yourself wishing you could be more successful or confident? More… badass? You long to be your own version of a badass, but you aren’t sure you know what that means. You wonder who or where you are in life, or if you even have a life.

Why do I bring this up? Because this was who I was. And, on some level, it still is.

I would love to tell you that I came out on top, hands raised in a guaranteed overnight victory. This was not the case. I battled failure, embarrassment, exhaustion, guilt, frustration and picked up the pieces (and my own body) more times than I can count. But each time I started over, I found myself identifying, owning and unleashing my inner badass in ways that I never thought possible.

A BIG, BADASS OPP

In 2016, I decided to train my overweight, cardio-starved “mom-bod” for a cage fight coming up in February of 2017. I had been training for a little over a year at a gym specific to mixed martial arts, boxing and jiu jitsu. It was just a fun way for me to release some aggression, do something physically challenging and feel like a total badass.

My trainer and coach told me they had an opponent looking for a higher weight class (I was a 35-year-old mother of two). He asked if I was interested in making my fight debut. I laughed.

Then I said yes. Maybe I was on a high from too many hits in the face at the gym, or maybe I’d just gone a little crazy. Either way, I was totally enamored by the thought of a real fight.

TURNING POINT

I didn’t know what I was committing to, quite honestly. I knew I was fighting a woman, but that’s about it. I researched her online to get myself amped up, but it was hard to know what I was up against. I wasn’t even sure I could punch or defend myself.

I had played basketball and softball in my youth, and strength-trained and added basic cardio as I got older. I started boxing to stay in shape and never intended to fight. Then I watched the movie Southpaw. I was inspired and, for the first time: I thought maybe I’d fight someday after all.

There was no turning back now; I’d be stepping into the cage in just over three months.

Call it my ego, my pride or call it my crazy brain craving something more challenging. Whatever it was, it was a major turning point of my life—more so than I had even begun to understand at that moment.

TRAINING FOR THE FIGHT

I would be fighting “Muay Thai.” It is often referred to as “the art of eight limbs,” where you can use a combination of fists, elbows, knees and shins. During my fight, my opponent and I would wear both shin guards and headgear (at the request of my opponent), as well as our own gloves.

I trained for hours and hours every night during the week. I ran on treadmills (which I had always refused to do on any level) and was punched, kicked and kneed in all areas of my body. The cardio intervals kicked my butt and oddly, my favorite part was getting punched in the face over and over. I learned my limits on every level. I had to lose 30 pounds even to fight! There would be a mandatory weigh-in the evening before my fight and if my scale didn’t say a certain number, I couldn’t get in the cage. I wasn’t going to have wasted all my time and energy not to make weight.

NO MORE MRS. NICE GIRL

Leading up to the fight, I thought there was no possible way everything would work out for me—that I’d make weight, that I’d win, that I’d keep my reputation.

I was nervous of the outcome and that I’d be seen as a failure. Plus, we were the ONLY female fight of the evening, and I was the first and ONLY female fighter ever to come out of my fight gym… no pressure, right? Talk about expectations!

On top of that, the week of the fight, I still had 15 pounds to lose. There was absolutely no way I’d get this done, I thought. I’d been following a regimen that consisted of 2 gallons of water per day for two weeks prior to the fight and a lot of peeing! Then, the week of, the weight came off like this: Monday: 2 gallons of water and 15 lbs. overweight Tuesday: Ate only FAT so basically unsalted almonds and avocados (still can’t eat them plain to this day) and water cut down. Wednesday: Ate only fat and water cut down. Thursday: No food or water and A LOT of spitting and peeing (I actually sucked on Jolly Ranchers and had to spit out the juice!). Friday: No food or water and some exercising to sweat out the last bit of water.

Friday night weigh-in: Made weight within .05 lbs. Followed by a box of chicken broth (which was DELICIOUS) and then some water and eventually some dinner at the local hibachi grill. Saturday night: The fight!

DADDY’S GIRL

A day before my late dad’s birthday, I suited up. I wore fight shorts with the words “Daddy’s Girl” embroidered on them and watched as my teammates completed their turns. I paced, listened to music and just prayed that I wouldn’t get hurt too badly.

After what felt like forever, it was my turn. I took to the hallway to do my walkout, where my coach, trainer, husband and teammates joined me. From there, I don’t remember much of anything. I didn’t hear my walkout song or the hundreds of people cheering or booing at me. I didn’t hear them tell me it was time to get into the cage. Honestly, I don’t even remember stepping into the cage or them announcing my name.

But there is one thing that I do remember that evening. As my opponent entered, the cage door was locked behind me.

CLICK

I’ll never forget the sound of that lock. It was time. I couldn’t rely on my trainer to pick me up if I fell. I couldn’t rely on my husband to hold me when I felt like stopping. It was time to find out if all those months of training and sacrifice were worth it. It was time to find out if I could get punched in the face, kicked in the legs, or hit in the head and fight back.

TOTAL BADASS

It was the longest and shortest six minutes of my life! I made it through. In fact, I held my own fairly well against an opponent 15 years younger than I was. The best part though? My hand wasn’t raised at the end. I didn’t win! Because even though I had lost, I knew with every part of me that I was walking out of that cage a total badass, even more than I had been when I entered.

I never have fought again, nor have I walked into a cage since. My priorities have changed, but that isn’t to say I wouldn’t love to get into the cage again someday. I know it would take even more courage, strength and training, now that I know what to expect. Maybe it would be even more crazy of me to fight again, knowing what I’m in for.

YOUR FIGHT

My inner badass took me inside a locked cage and got me beat up in front of a crowd, but everyone has her own fight.

What is your obstacle that keeps punching you in the face and knocking you down? What do you need to face and where do you need to unleash your inner badass, once and for all?

Once you know your fight, believe in yourself and align yourself in it. Determine your values and strengths, and when you’re in the cage and ready, assert your power. Own your badass, the most badass version of you. After all, this version of you is you, and this world needs it.

For me, quite frankly, being my own version of a beautiful badass is enough for me. Cage and all.

Jaclyn Roof, a former Muay Thai cage fighter, is a “Beautiful Badass Leadership Coach” who runs various in-person workshops and retreats as well as online programs and courses. She resides in Traverse City with her husband, Michael, and their children, Abigail and Adelyn. Learn more at www.jaclynroof.com.

Meet Jaclyn!

Jaclyn will be speaking at our May 8th GTWoman Luncheon. Her topic, “Beautiful Badass” will bring inspiration and motivation (with more sass than usual)! The event is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Hagerty Center. Tickets are $35 or 2/$60 and include plated luncheon, mingling, booths and keynote speaker. For tickets or to purchase booth space, visit www.grandtraversewoman.com.

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