In a candid interview with Jiu Jitsu Queenz, multiple-time world champion Ffion Davies shared her insights on the disparities women face in jiu-jitsu compared to their male counterparts. Davies, who has secured major victories at ADCC, the World Championships, Europeans, and Pan Ams, highlighted how the absence of visibility creates a cycle that stifles growth and participation.
“If she can’t see it, she can’t be it,” Davies emphasized, pointing out that without visible divisions, prize money, and media coverage equal to men’s competitions, women have less incentive to pursue competitive jiu-jitsu at the highest level. “There’s a lack of drive because you can’t see yourself there. This doesn’t exist yet—how could I be motivated to achieve something that doesn’t exist yet?”
The Visibility Problem
Davies was particularly critical of how the jiu-jitsu industry markets and promotes female competitors. She noted that major organizations heavily invest in storytelling and marketing for men’s divisions, but fail to do the same for women’s competitions.
“They have these storylines built with the road to ADCC 66 division, 77 division, where they go for each athlete. They didn’t have that for the women, so how can we possibly be invested in them in the same way?” Davies asked.
She rejected the common argument that women’s divisions don’t generate enough interest, calling it a self-fulfilling prophecy. “They don’t get the views, they don’t get the views—I just don’t agree. If you don’t have a reason to… I’m not going to sit and watch the whole thing if I don’t know who anyone is.”
Equal Prize Money and Division Representation
A significant issue Davies pointed out is the disparity in prize money. “The women’s [prize] was still half of the men’s. I made more at Gi Worlds,” she revealed, underlining how financial inequalities impact women’s ability to commit to jiu-jitsu professionally.
She believes organizations must take the lead in investing in women’s divisions rather than waiting for female participation to reach a certain threshold. “To not have women on your show is discrimination,” Davies stated. “Call a spade a spade… it’s discrimination. Other sports don’t do that. Look at the Olympic sports—they have equal men’s divisions and equal women’s divisions and prize money.”
Holding Organizations Accountable
Davies expressed frustration that the responsibility of growing women’s participation in jiu-jitsu is often placed solely on women themselves. “It’s the only question I ever get, and it’s never asked of the guys. They’re the majority in the sport, so why are we not asking them?”
She believes jiu-jitsu should naturally attract more women given its technical nature, but systemic barriers limit its growth. “For our generation, you grow up being told that this is not something you should be doing in the first place. You have to give it time and you have to give it the space in the first place, otherwise you can’t expect people to turn up.”
Leading by Example
Davies credits JT Torres of Essential Jiu-Jitsu for demonstrating how coaches can lead by example. Instead of relegating her to teaching women’s or children’s classes, he encouraged her to teach advanced gi classes. “JT was like, ‘Oh yeah, teach advanced gi.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean? Are you going to throw me with the kids? Are you going to give me a women-only class at 8 p.m. on a Sunday that no one can attend?’”
Torres would even attend her classes to show other students that she was a respected instructor, reinforcing the idea that women deserve equal opportunities in coaching.
Beyond Self-Defense: Changing the Narrative
Davies also challenges the notion that women should only practice jiu-jitsu for self-defense. “This is the thing that’s like, ‘You need to learn it for self-defense so that you don’t get attacked.’ Why do I have to worry about being attacked? I don’t want to have to worry about that. Why can’t I just do a sport because it’s fun, like a man can just do a sport because it’s fun to do?”
The Future of Women’s Jiu-Jitsu
As Davies prepares for her match against Adele Fornarino on UFC Invitational, she is also taking on the role of head coach at Arma gym in London. There, she hopes to nurture the next generation of athletes—particularly female athletes who are “undernourished” in terms of opportunities and support.
Her journey from a shy judoka to one of the most influential figures in jiu-jitsu highlights the importance of representation. “If she can’t see it, she can’t be it,” Davies reminds us. By taking proactive steps to invest in women’s divisions, the sport can finally break free from outdated limitations and become truly inclusive.
