Ffion Davies has never been one to shy away from difficult conversations about gender equality in combat sports. During a recent interview at the Jiu-Jitsu Queens Winter Camp in Amsterdam, the two-time World Champion opened up about the systemic discrimination women continue to face in sports, particularly in jiu-jitsu.
Davies’ journey from a chronically shy teenager to a world champion has given her unique insight into the barriers women face in martial arts. Early in her career she found herself in environments where survival meant adapting to a male-dominated culture.
“It’s like a survival thing,” Davies explained. “I have to laugh along with the hurtful sexist jokes because then I’ll be accepted. I have to prove that I’m here for the right intentions, whatever that means.”
This pressure to prove worthiness is something male athletes rarely experience. Davies described having to demonstrate she wasn’t there for dating purposes or social reasons simply because she entered the gym wearing makeup and having blonde hair.
“You have to prove that you’re a worthwhile partner,”
she noted, highlighting the additional scrutiny women face that has nothing to do with their athletic ability.
The discrimination extends beyond gym culture into professional opportunities and representation. Davies expressed frustration with how women are consistently asked what should be done to attract more women to jiu-jitsu while men—who make up the majority of the sport—are rarely posed the same question.
“Why are we not asking them?” she questioned. “They’re the majority in the sport, right?”
This disparity becomes particularly evident in major competitions and events. Davies pointed to the ADCC championships as an example where women’s prize money remains half of men’s despite her earning more at the IBJJF World Championships, which pays based on division numbers rather than gender.
“They’re choosing to keep the division small and they’re choosing to keep the prize money half. They’re not giving the chance for it to grow,”
she observed.
The lack of women’s representation in major events perpetuates a cycle that Davies describes as discrimination.
“To not have women on your show is discrimination. It is—call a spade a spade. It’s discrimination if you don’t have women on your show. That’s weird.”
She advocates for equal divisions and prize money as a baseline, pointing to Olympic sports as an example of how gender parity should work.
Davies also highlighted the default assumption that women should only teach other women or children rather than advanced mixed classes. When she joined Essential Jiu-Jitsu, head coach JT broke this pattern by having her teach advanced classes and attending them himself to demonstrate respect and leadership by example.
The champion emphasized that jiu-jitsu should be particularly attractive to women because of its technical nature allowing smaller individuals to overcome larger opponents through skill. Yet she rejects the notion that self-defense should be the primary motivation for women to train.
“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?”
she asked.
Despite the ongoing challenges Davies sees progress in women’s jiu-jitsu though she believes the sport could be much further along. Her own evolution from someone who initially wanted to be
“one of the boys”
to confidently advocating for women’s equality demonstrates how individual growth can drive broader change.
