I'm not debating her position on it, she made that pretty clear. I'm just speaking in the abstract here, and of other peoples opinion on the matter in general who would say that it's not ok to hit women in a sporting situation. My angle on it is that it's a sort of infantilization to see it as "wrong" to hit a woman in this context. Obviously I don't believe that men and women in general are a physical match in a sporting/weight class sense ( I mentioned in my first post the issue is beside biological realities), but I'm sure that there are some women who would be safe and an equal match for a male in a fight. Obviously rhonda would fucking crush any average untrained man in a fight, even someone who was physically stronger and larger than her, and in such a situation it would be completely reasonable to hit her. Clearly it would actually be more unsafe and unsporting for the man in that situation, being so outmatched. He'd wake up from being knocked out cold or wind up getting his arm ripped half off haha. I don't see women as some other weaker species which needs protection, anymore than I think a short and skinny man needs extra protection. Yes both are clearly disadvantaged in a fight and more easily physically abused (men wind up as the victims of physical abuse in relationships as well afterall) in terms of their ability to resist someone bigger or stronger, but we do not live in a society in the United states at least where there are not ways out of this sort of abuse. It's the psychological factors at play and fear along with other issues which keep people in abused situations I believe, and these things have nothing to do in my opinion with gender or physical stature, so treating or regarding women as some "other" class just seems unnecessary to me. I should certainly hope that a person wouldn't not strike someone just because of their gender, but instead would not punch anyone period, unless the situation warranted. Being emotional, angry, upset, or feeling wronged is not a valid reason to punch someone, and I think it's fucked up to initiate violence on anyone unless it's called for, and when it's called for it's called for, man or woman.

I draw a parallel between people who hold themselves back from certain behaviors or actions MERELY because it is illegal, or because of a religious belief, or fear of punishment or repercussion. Someone who does not murder or rob, or punch/commit violence against another person is not really a good or moral person if they refrain from such action due to fear of repercussion, and not because they know it's wrong a priori and regardless of any other rule or code against it.