Is physical fighting between women or girls encouraged in or a staple of any culture?

Question

Real cultures: not Amazons. I have read of female Roman gladiators (gradiatrices?), as well as female combat in certain west African tribes. Are there similar traditions, say, in South East Asia, South America or Celtic regions? Or any others?

Answer 1

Yeah alot of leadership roles, ie the french, etc.

but honestly, history across the globe shows females as weak, inferior to men, and around to simply cook, and mate with males. only within the last 100years has there been real reforms to make man and woman equal.

Prior to that females were lucky to survive till childhood,

as virtually every culture had male warriors as the stock.

*there was no tanks, man power was needed in large amounts

*middle-eastern ladies are still considered to be worth less than a donkey, in many arab countries

Answer 2

No fighting is not encouraged in any culture.  Male or female fights are something, we don't need.  Yes some people might like to watch fights, but that is an interest and doesn't matter.  A lot of bad things can result in fighting, and people let their anger control them.

Answer 3

Go to any poor, ghettoed out neighborhood and you'll see girls fighting a lot.

Answer 4

the quechua of bolivia fight each other on a certain day of the year for religious purposes. this also involves the women of the community.

Answer 5

The ancient Romans were in fear of the Celtic women.  Per Ammianus Marcellinus -

“…a whole band of foreigners will be unable to cope with one [Celt] in a fight, if he calls in his wife, stronger than he by far and with flashing eyes; least of all when she swells her neck and gnashes her teeth, and poising her huge white arms, begins to rain blows mingled with kicks, like shots discharged by the twisted cords of a catapult”.

Answer 6

Have you seen professional wrestling?

Answer 7

I have to agree that pro wrestling does show a cultural acceptance towards female fighting. As far as I have read, yes there were female gladiators. No, female warriors were not encouraged in Celtic and Nordic cultures although there were occasions that women rose to leadership in war as well as positions of government authority both in Celtic and Nordic society. Also the original myths of the Amazons were based on the Sarmation tribes in which the women would ride into battle with the men and were not allowed to marry untill they had killed someone and taken their scalp as proof. Also in response to the second answer, it has only been in recent times that fighting has become culturally unacceptable. And that is only in "western" culture. There are still cultures around the world where feuds are still settled with fights.