Transformed Bodies and Gender: Experiences of Women Pro Wrestlers in Japan

Women’s pro wrestling in Japan has been controlled by an organization of which the members have only been women. Their bodies are unique, transformed into a deviation from the ideal female body image in Japan to enable them to engage in pro wrestling. In addition, through professional training, they acquire “combat skills”. This kind of physique is different from the body many women are encouraged to attain. This book suggests that women, who are constrained by the “ideal female body” image or physical vulnerability, can liberate themselves from this normative image through “physical feminism.