text:
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sewing and Body Image
On one hand, this is a great thing. We can make clothes that fit our bodies perfectly. We can sew up dresses that are one size on top, and another on the bottom - rather than trying to squeeze into a ready-to-wear size. Also, with a realistic awareness of our bodies, hopefully acceptance will follow.
On the other hand, sewing talk often turns into complaining about our figures, as so many conversations between women do. On any sewing message board, you can read a woman's demeaning remarks about her body, even as she is giving out priceless sewing advice. I suppose this kind of talk builds a sort of false sense of intimacy between women, but ultimately I think it just makes us loathe ourselves.
Even Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing includes this kind of supposedly harmless "girl talk" in the instructions on the slim skirt: "If you're practically hipless (lucky you!), you'll have to carry your hip darts down further." Really, VoNBBS? We should aspire to being "hipless"? Having hips is not a handicap. In fact, I'm not quite sure how I would walk without mine.
Vintage patterns, while being a great source of beauty and inspiration, also serve to remind us how far we might be from the 1952 ideal. Acutally, women of 1952 were probably just as far from the 1952 ideal. Who can live up to those wasp-waisted illustrations? Or even these VoNBBS models?
Another thing to consider on this topic: as women who sew and blog about it (or post pictures of ourselves wearing our creations on Pattern Review or Burdastyle), we are putting images of our bodies out there in a way that can feel very vulnerable. I suppose that's why we use some of this negative self-talk: to try to lessen this anxiety and as a preemptive defense against people who might judge us.
As much as I try not to, I get consumed by this anxiety at times. We're all our own worst critics, right? While looking over the many pictures my husband had taken of me in my new red sheath dress, I could really only find a couple in which I thought I looked acceptably slender. So of course those were the two I published! Even with all the glowing and thoughtful and lovely compliments you gave me, I still found myself thinking, what if I had posted one of the "fat" pictures? Would people have responded as positively to the dress?
Obviously, it's not easy to stop a lifetime of this ingrained behavior. But I think that it's especially important in our little online sewing community that we foster an environment of body acceptance, rather than body apologies.
Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic perhaps said it best in this post about choosing a pattern size: "When taking [your] measurements, be truthful. Don't fudge the numbers, don't get upset about the numbers and don't be scared of the numbers. Because everyday your body wakes you up and gets you through a day...treasure it. It's yours and it's precious."
38 comments:
Here here! This was well said. I'm tired of apologizing for my looks. Working out and dieting to extreme just to obtain something that isn't obtainable! If I were too skinny, I'd look funny. I have huge birthing hips (birthing... wouldn't want to be one of those 'hipless' women in that situation!) and those hips aren't going away with a little more exercise and diet, they're bone! Genetics are out of our control... and frankly I'm glad to share the same body type as my family. Its like a badge of belonging.
www.thimblekissblog.blogspot.comOh, I love your post Gertie!
I think we are all gone crazy about wanting to have a perfect body and ideal measurements ratio.
I remember I was really surprised when my ex boyfriend praised some parts of my body I really disliked. The moral - we're never gonna fit into everyone's vision of perfect body, but some people might find our body perfect as it is. We should think the same way of ourselves.
And, I love my hips as well :-).- AnonymousSeptember 10, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Very nicely written post. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to body image. Sewing and blogging has made me both vulnerable and accepting of my body type and Carolyn is right--don't lie about the numbers.They are what they are. I tell my lil girls all the time, we come in all different shapes and sizes from the head to the toes. As long as you are healthy, it really just how it goes!Since i began sewing, I never step on the scale anymore. Just measure and I feel better informed about my body and what can and cannot change!
ReplyDelete "Really, VoNBBS? We should aspire to being "hipless"? Having hips is not a handicap. In fact, I'm not quite sure how I would walk without mine."
LOL - you crack me up! And speaking from the perspective of someone who is hipless (by VoNBBS def), I'd much rather have them than not. Curves are pretty and feminine! Love your blog, btw. :)I think that sometimes it is difficult to get past the "OMG, I'm sewing a size 20!" and realize that what you are doing is sewing something perfectly fitted to you, that will look better than anything you could buy in the store, and you will look better (and thinner!) than if you were wearing a size 8 rtw dress.
We become SO aware of our "fitting issues," and can rattle them off...full bust adjustment...sway back adjustment....flat seat, high hip fluff, rounded back, forward shoulder, lowered bust point.....As sewists, we are incredibly aware of every lump and bump, and can divide said lumps into the ones we want to hide, and the ones we want to accentuate. Because of this awareness, it is hard to not be critical.
But I do also find myself pretty closely examining other people that I see and being rather critical of the fit of their (I am assuming) RTW clothing. And no matter how large a size I have to sew, I will always look better and more put-together in my size 20 (or size 46, thanks, Burda!) pants than the girl with the jeans gaping in the back showing her underwear, or the one with the buttons gaping on the front of her shirt, or the one packed into too-small clothing because being a size 4 means EVERYTHING to her.One of the reasons I love to sew vintage patterns is because I know the pattern sizes bear absolutely no resemblance to anything currently in the stores. I like that. I can just go ahead and grade up and down as needed, make the pattern fit me perfectly, and go on with my life, completely in the dark about what "size" I sewed up.
I like my happy place.My beautiful 23 year old daughter says it very well. We are the normal ones and those skinny models are abnormal. It is not normal, for most of us, to be that skinny and they aren't thin these models today, but skinny. Knipmode actually uses plus sized models who appears to be more than a size 12 for their larger sized patterns. Burda used to. They get thinner every year. It's taken me many years to accept my body, extra weight and all. It is just what it is, and I agree with Carolyn, it hasn't let me down yet. I think that accepting your body and actually seeing yourself as you are goes a long way to sewing a wardrobe that not only fits but makes us look our best no matter our size.
You have managed to look your best in these clothes no matter that your body is not that skinny model or hipless. Aren't the majority of women in this country pear shaped?I've worked in theatre costuming for years, and that's where I've done most of my sewing. Actors can be incredibly sensitive and insecure, and you end up getting very up close and personal with other people's bodies as well. I ALWAYS make a point of emphasizing that if there's a fitting problem, it's that the garment doesn't fit the person, not the other way around. I think in clothing shopping and home sewing we can think about it the other way around too often.
ReplyDeleteGood post! I have been struggling with this too. After three kids I am trying to learn to not only sew according to my real measurements but also to find more age/body appropriate styles. Though I love the 50s fashions I've yet to see one that appears to be designed for women with natural curves. I may have to pick a different clothing era to be in love with:o)
ReplyDeleteThanks for another thought-provoking post, Gertie!
Like many women, I sometimes struggle with my body image. Sewing my own clothes helps me feel well-dressed and sexy, no matter what, but it definitely doesn't erase those nagging bouts of insecurity. Sometimes I catch myself thinking "I can't believe I'm a size 12! I'm a lard-ass!" or something equally demented when I cut a pattern. That can happen especially with vintage patterns, because apparently everyone in the 50s had a 20-inch waist.
But, in the end, I think this goes back to the discussion we had in an earlier post about how modern-day fashion doesn't really respect the female body. When I sew, I can erase the "you-have-to-be-a-model-to-look-good-in-this-outfit" mentality that dominates so many of the clothing choices out there. I can choose clothes that fit and flatter my curves. THAT makes me feel good.I agree with Michelle, sometimes that number can be daunting at times. But my mother-in-law told me a story about clothes sizing. She grew up in the 50s and 60s and she was very slight as a young teen. She says she knows sizes have changed because in RTW, she is the same size now as she was when she was a young teen (and is obviously not as slender, being a fully-grown woman with children).
ReplyDeleteDo you ever notice the number of sewing blogs where the clothing being displayed is on..a dressmaker's dummy? Not on the person at all? (Hey, I do it too)There's a reason for that and it is very sad but it happens a lot. Perhaps that should be my one goal this year - to put a picture of myself in one of my new creations on my blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny to me is that I use my husband's advice for fit - he can see more objectively than I can sometimes and is an engineer so he can help with the construction of how to fix it - but he hates when I suggest that something's wrong with my body that causes the garment to need fixing. Even though "Fit for Real People" says that they've never met a person who needed no pattern alterations, so there is no such thing as a perfect fit model body (unless they made the mannequins after your shape).
ReplyDeleteGreat topic, and very interesting comments. I'm going to try to say something about it, but please have patience with my English...
I find it a given fact that a fashion world who idealizes a body type that actually destroyes the person, it's world where the ideals are sick. Of course we judge ourselves, and of course we should all be happy with the bodies we have.
I have to voice a concern though: Quite often I've found that turning away from the too-skinny ideal also means disregarding aspects that are necessary for the health. That someone who claims to love her body just as it is, perhaps also turns a blind eye to the danger of an unhealthy lifestyle. Why does it so often seem like it has to be one or the other? Why does exercise and eating healthy have to be lumped together either with "healtfreaks" or anorexia? Why does being proud of your body these days mean not taking care of it? Why can a girl not like her body as it is, but work a bit to maintain it?
Of course it's not dangerous to have a few pounds extra, and of course it's dangerous to have so many pounds too few as the models have. Being as skinny as a model, is not something I aspire to, but having my knees replaced, getting diabetes, having heart porblems (all before I'm 50) isn't something I'm interested in either.
I've met gorgeous people of twice my weight, beauty has nothing to do with your pounds but with how you wear them. So this comment, it's not about the outside, it's about the inside, and about a body I want to have until I'm 90. Regardless of how it looks. So I work out, I watch my diet a bit and I keep my weight even despite the cookies and all the stuff I bake.
So please ladies, is this something you have in mind? Do you only see your bodies in terms of beauty, ideals and measurments? Or do you also see it as an indicator of a lifestyle, and see your weight as an indicator of your health?
Am I worrying in vain?Your blog is great! I look forward to it every day. This was a wonderful post.
I sew a size 24 and don't care who knows it. I have very broad shoulders and am almost 6-feet tall; I've always had to sew to have nice clothes that fit. As far as vintage eras go, I love the 40's (gotta love those shoulders!) and the Gibson-girl era and Edwardian looks 'cause they fit my shape. If you research different fashion silhouettes, you can always find decades that fit your shape & personality. If you're very curvy try the 30's or 50's; more straight up and down, try the 20's or 60's; pear-shaped, try a Regency look that skims the hips and derriere. The important thing is to feel good about the clothes you wear.- Kate in BelgradeSeptember 11, 2009 at 3:31 AM
My thoughts are in line with Erika's. I also have the feeling that American women haven't found a connection between loving themselves and taking care of their bodies. A friend of mine delicately tried to ask me about this, and I didn't know what to answer. I think that in this regard, we can learn something from women in other parts of the world who do not despise their bodies or flaws, but care for themselves as one would care for a fine automobile. You take care of a fine car not because you secretly loathe it, but because it's your pride and joy.
ReplyDelete Erika and Kate, great points. While there is no denying that women in America (and other countries too!) could stand to take better care of themselves, I think the problem comes when we start to equate body size and health. As much as one might try, you actually can't look at a woman's size and determine her health from that size. Sure, there are proven health risks associated with being both obese and underweight. But sometimes it feels as though people take this health argument and use it as an excuse for size-ism of a sort.
Anyway, thanks for another great conversation, all!- AnonymousSeptember 11, 2009 at 10:58 AM
This is definitely a touchy thing. I've been struggling with how much curvier my body is after having my son. Numbers on the tape are much less frustrating I think than numbers on the scale.
I feel really empowered while I'm sewing because I can shape those curves with a little application. RTW never fits me right--its far too large in some place and far too small in other...the end result being much less flattering and a great deal more depressing than even the worst of my own creations.
At the end of it all, it takes so much energy to be upset about how we're built. All women are beautiful. Wonderful post, Gertie - and another fascinating approach to the weight issue. A
lthough I understand where Erika and Kate are coming from, I have to take this opportunity to promote the concept of being healthy at any size, what the "fatosphere" refers to as HAES. It goes beyond simple Fat Acceptance -which in itself is a great step forward - to encourage people of all sizes to be healthy - FOR THEIR BODY. Not for anyone's else's ideal, fashion or otherwise.
Too often, plus-size women see their diet (and their lives) in terms of black and white, either/or, happy or un-. There IS a happy medium (or a happy large - lol!) that we should aspire to without judgment.
Thanks, Gertie...I'm trying really hard these days to refer to my body shape/size in factual ways rather than using loaded or judgemental terms. For example if I post about a creation I want to just say things like 'I altered for length because I am 5'2" rather than 'because I am a stumpy-legged leprechaun'. I used to do that sort of thing a lot without even really thinking (and I also have pretty good self-esteem). I realise if we do this sort of stuff, even in a joking way, we are normalising critical stances on our own bodies. But also on other's bodies... what if another gal my height is reading what I say and feels bad about herself, or thinks I think she is less-than? I know that especially when I was younger, when teen magazines would have articles where girls would criticise their bodies, I'd look at their pictures and they'd look slim and well-proportioned to me so I'd feel worse about how I looked... was I deluded? Should I be even MORE ashamed than the person in the article? It can be very damaging. Its very insidious too... body-image articles in magazines don't actually even encourage you to like your body exactly... instead, they push an idea 'don't feel bad about feeling bad about your body because that's the way we girls are, aren't we silly? Don't pay attention to every ad in this issue telling you you need to change, you silly thing!' Well, we don't pop out of the womb finding fault with ourselves... we're told where to look and what to judge! I'm not going to participate in body-negativity anymore, even in jest and even if only about myself. It serves noone.... great post Gertie!
ReplyDelete- AnonymousSeptember 14, 2009 at 3:44 PM
My aunt had a "Rubenesque" figure that I longed for as a child...alas, only stick figures were in my genes then! See? The whole "Grass is greener on the other side of the fence" bit!
Now, after three children, I have a little more of me to like but I am healthy, not overweight, but not skinny anymore either!
When I sew, I have to make adjustments for my narrow shoulders, my wider hips and it takes time....but I take a measure of pride in doing that, making MY body look good for the way it is! - AnonymousSeptember 18, 2009 at 2:01 PM
I just would love it, if Burda (where I get most of my patterns from) and other patternmaker would put their stuff on real people for photographs. That is why I like sewing blogs. To see the garments on real people and without pinning to sample size, which is mostly probably smaller than the smallest pattern size. Also models are around 1.75m-1.80m, normal sizes are made for women 1.65m-1.70m, they have to cheat. I would rather like to see stuff on gorgeous woman, who haven't the models genes (the tall and skinny ones) and have a figure that complements the style of the garment. Because skinny doesn't look good in everything. Some styles need curves to work.
ReplyDelete Gertie, just found your blog and it rocks. I think I love absolutely everything about it.
I especially love this post. I think that as a culture we seem to be happy to nip and tuck our own bodies to wear mass produced clothing, which strikes me as making alterations in completely the wrong place.
I'm 4'10" and while I have a very healthy weight for my size, I am super curvy. There are not enough surgical options or diets in the world to make me look like a model, and I find that odly liberating. Frankly, I rather like my body. I'm working on building up my sewing skills to make stuff just for me. I treasure those garments because of the whole experience of making them. I love getting compliments from strangers. It makes me think 'see, I knew I looked good, just took a dress that fitted to show it off!'.
I love laying out my modified pattern pieces next to the originals and giggling at the difference, and delighting the feeling of having something so personal.
I think looking at my body next to other people's bodies is like looking at a pony next to a race horse. Ponies look like other horses, but they are smaller and stockier in build. They're not race horses, and they never will be. But they don't need to try, because who doesn't love a pony?
Hooray for you and all your work and thoughts and awesome look. Thankyou so much for sharing. I am so inspired!Hi Gertie, I just found your blog through Kathleen Francis' free pattern week and Casey's Elegant Musings. I have been going through your archives from the beginning so that I can follow your journey and I really admire the way you generate such interesting and thoughtful discussions on womanhood! I am a doctor and know what everyone really looks like, and I am here to tell you, no one is perfect, and everyone has some good points. I love that you emphasize that in your blog and show how you adjust these patterns to maximize yours, while modeling them yourself. Great legs, by the way! You have your skirt lengths just right!
ReplyDelete- AnonymousMarch 17, 2012 at 4:12 PM
Great post. I think that making a garment to fit will always look more flattering than making a garment to fit your "ideal" measurements for yourself. It will fit better and you will be much happier with it, and wear it more. No sense in putting in hours of work to have something sit in your closet for the magical day you get skinnier or whatever.
ReplyDelete Hi Gertie!
I am really REALLY loving your blog! I found you after searching for body image and sewing because I have a theory I wanted to check out. My theory is that historically, women's body image degraded in tune with the rise of ready-to-wear clothing.
I think there are a few factors responsible. The big two are:
1. Previously shape and silhouette were primarily determined by corsetry, and was a matter of decency even more then it was of beauty. Fashions changed therefore corsets changed. Giving up corsets was SUPPOSED to be freeing for women, but IMHO, it was not. Not at ALL.
Most women are even more tightly corseted and are expected to fashion their corsets out of their OWN BODIES now. So much for freeing!
2. Ready-to-wear sizing is about the manufacturers convenience or choice and has literally NOTHING to do with real actual people. I'm in Canada and we are mid-centre on this issue. In Argentina nice clothing stores often have no sizes above 6!
Whereas in India, virtually all traditional clothing is sewn to measurements. From what I hear from friends, toxic body image in Argentina and Brazil is much more crippling then in India and I think clothing sizes have a lot to do with it.
Ready to wear sizing should not determine correct and acceptable sizes of real actual individual people.
I learned to sew pattern free using a home-made dress-form to fit on so I actually don't know my 'size' and I'm fine with that. When I see something I like I just make my version of it.
It's an old-fashioned way to live and a very body positive way I think.
Keep in blogging, you are absolutely wonderful!
~ RenataI really appreciate all of your thoughts on body image, Gertie. Before I started sewing last year I had all kinds of hangups about my body shape and size. To be honest, I always felt like a bit of an ogre (I'm quite tall and fairly curvy). But taking measurements (especially in a class full of other women) completely changed my opinion of myself for two reasons:
1. It turns out I'm actually way more proportional than I ever believed, and
2. It's made me grow to love and embrace my curves and learn how to work with them - even accentuate them sometimes!
Of course, the timing of me going through this discovery and Mad Men being popular is certainly helpful.
As better as I feel about things, I'm sure looking forward to the day that I don't even give it a second though.
LOVE your blog! Thank you. xoWonderful blog! Thank you. Along with apologizing for our body share and size, I've noticed over the years that women also have a habit of pointing out imperfections in the things we do and make. They aren't noticeable to others but for some reason we feel compelled to point them out. Your healthy attitude about your body size has really helped me accept my size. I use to be skinny - 5'4" and 115, but I hated my figure because I had a tummy and my waist was wide (this runs in my family). I also never allowed myself to enjoy food. Now, I'm a size 16, I still have a tummy and a wide waist, but I'm happy and I enjoy food and life. I'm proud of my shape/curves and my husband thinks I look great!(He knew me when I was skinny) So, after spending 40 years of being skinny. I'm now going to enjoy 40+ years of being shapely.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Carolyn. I like the way you think.
Recently I purchased a MOB dress for my baby girl's upcoming wedding. I was horrified that (according to THEIR site) I needed an XXXL! Did you read that, three (3) x's and a L, oy vey. Thankfully, I ordered it. It fits on point!!! I'll be beautiful at my baby girl's wedding and it's all good.


text:
This is the brain that almost wrecked a planet. It is packed with dangerous ideas. Moles grow on the brain in front of our very eyes. They devour the brain impulses causing the scalp to tingle with a burning urgency too intense for our puny imaginations to contemplate. The brain must constantly feed the moles with fantastic ideas that tamper with God's laws. The brain longs for peace and respite from the gnawing voracious moles that demand ever more frightening ideas. The more awful the ideas, the more delicious they taste.
This is Professor Mole, hapless human host of the itching pulsating brain.
The Professor is quiveringly deranged but not technically evil. He just has a burning brain that must needs tamper with God's laws. The brain wishes it could survive without its primitive and morally infused host. But the brain cannot live without the precious blood supply pumped into it by the generous professor's empathic heart and so for the moment must put up with his restraining ethical principles. The brain needs a willing ally in order to follow through on any of its shocking innovations.
Professor Mole is dedicated to benefitting society through the advance of science. He himself though is so hideous that he is shunned by the very society he longs to benefit and must conduct his awesome experiments in a hidden basement laboratory. The basement is putrid with dank mold and segmented creeping things of a lower order. Professor Mole has an unusual fascination for segments and collects them in jars. Sometimes he makes new things from unrelated segments. It's one of his many harmless obsessions. He thinks maybe humans would get along better if we had crisp segments rather than rude connective tissue.
Mikey is a praying mantis who lives in the basement of the same tenement building as professor mole. The professor discovers him one day hovering in the dank shadows, grooming his segments - which makes an eerie and beckoning musical call. To Mole's surprise, Mikey is not afraid of the professor's deeply ugly countenance. The professor befriends Mikey and feeds him. He massages his segments, oils them and keeps them in perfect working order.Mikey is professor mole's only friend. Unlike his kindly master, Mikey is truly evil and joins forces with the Professor's throbbing ghastly brain. Mole, blinded by his love for Mikey, unwittingly commits unspeakable atrocities upon mankind in order to please his voracious segmented buddy.
ask about FEEDING TIME if you dare...
The danger of Professor Mole's Doomsday machine is so great that He Hog enlists the aid of the fantastic otherworldly
Beautiful sculpts by Hryma!

subset: commoncrawl


text: Correspondence chess allows two players to play chess without the need of being online. Once a player make a move the system sends a mail notification to opponent for making his move. This is a unique experience that let you excited every time the board comes up. If you wish to play Correspondence chess, sign up with Chesshere.com


text:
Fresh from a breakout year rising lightweight star Evan Dunham begins his 2011 campaign at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas in the UFC Fight for the Troops 2 main event against Melvin Guillard.
Fresh from a breakout year in which he defeated Efrain Escudero and Tyson Griffin before losing a controversial split decision to former champion Sean Sherk, rising lightweight star Evan Dunham begins his 2011 campaign at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas in the UFC Fight for the Troops 2 main event against Melvin Guillard.
For the 29-year old native of Eugene, Oregon, the bout is an opportunity to make a statement to the division that he's ready to be included in the conversation when it comes to the 155-pound title picture, and given his past five fights in the Octagon, he's right on schedule for such a statement.
So how did Dunham get here? Read on for a recap of his UFC career thus far.
UFC 95 – February 21, 2009 - KO1 Per Eklund
Unbeaten in seven pro fights, Dunham entered the UFC with little fanfare, even having to travel to London, England to step into the Octagon for the first time. But as the bout approached, hardcore fan anticipation began to rise thanks to some heated trash talk from Eklund, whose previous two UFC fights saw him compile a 1-1 record. Dunham, as is his custom, kept his cool, saving his talk for the fight, where he blasted Eklund out in less than three minutes.
What He Said: "I had heard about it (Eklund's pre-fight verbal attacks), but I just look at it as him trying to pump the fight up. Since it was in Europe, I'm sure he was gonna have lots of fans, so I think he was just trying to bring in more people to watch him. I do think he underestimated my skills to a certain degree, which was fine. It's not the first time that somebody's talked a bunch of junk before a fight, and I don't think about it because they can talk all they want, we're still gonna fight."
What We Said: Unbeaten Evan Dunham made the most of his opportunity to step in for injured David Baron UFC 95 on short notice, knocking out Swedish veteran Per Eklund in the first round of their lightweight bout.
Dunham struck first and fast, hurting Eklund with a left to the head. Dunham pounced with a guillotine choke, but Eklund got loose and recovered, later pulling guard when the two stood. After the two stood, Eklund landed thudding shots to the head, but the Oregonian walked right through them, eventually getting his shot in, a straight left that dropped the Stockholm product hard to the mat. The follow-up barrage was a formality, with referee Marc Goddard halting the bout at the 2:14 mark.
What It Meant: Despite being a preliminary fight, Dunham got some welcome television exposure as his KO win was aired on Spike TV after a quick finish to the Dan Hardy-Rory Markham main card bout. In addition, defeating a respected veteran who had more than twice as many fights was a feather in Dunham's cap and marked him immediately as a fighter to watch.
UFC 102 – August 29, 2009 – W3 Marcus Aurelio
Six months after the Eklund bout, Dunham was thrown back into the fire against another seasoned vet in Marcus Aurelio. Even more significant for Dunham was that he was fighting at home in Oregon and pitting his jiu-jitsu skills against one of the top black belts in the game. A trial to test the prospect? Absolutely. But he passed with flying colors as he delivered a hard-fought decision win.
What He Said: "I think it's a great thing to test and see where I'm at against high-level jiu-jitsu players. I embrace the competition, but I don't let it change anything. If the knockout presents itself, I'm sure gonna go for it. However, I'm confident that I can also pull off a submission if the opportunity arises. Every fight I go into, I just look to break my opponent down, and capitalize when he makes a mistake."
What We Said: Unbeaten Eugene, Oregon native Evan Dunham got the evening off to a good start for the local boys, pounding out a three round split decision over Marcus Aurelio in an entertaining lightweight bout.
Scores were 30-27, 29-28, and 28-29 for Dunham.
"I knew he's never been finished, so I knew the fight would go on," said Dunham. "I love fighting in Portland. The fans were great."
Amped up by fighting in front of his home state fans, Dunham came out fast, peppering Aurelio with quick 1-2s from long range and following up with shorter power shots at close range. Midway through the round, Dunham dropped Aurelio with a left hand, but the Brazilian grappling ace was able to weather the follow-up assault. Once standing, Aurelio tried to even the score, but the faster Dunham made sure he was gone before anything got close, and his takedown defense kept Aurelio at bay as well for the rest of the round.
Dunham's strategy remained unchanged in round two, but early on Aurelio was able to get the hometown favorite to the canvas, where he looked to turn the tide. Dunham got back to his feet a short time later, and though he caught a couple wide shots from Aurelio, he was unfazed by the haymakers, and Aurelio was looking weary in the final two minutes as Dunham mixed kicks into his attack.
Trying to turn things around, Aurelio got the fight to the mat in the third, and though Dunham's ground defense was solid, "Maximus" kept pushing for the submission, eventually locking in a guillotine choke. After some tense moments for the Oregon fans, Dunham escaped and the two exchanged takedowns. With a minute left, Aurelio again looked for the takedown, but Dunham fought it off and ended the bout with some crisp strikes until the final bell sounded.
What It Meant: Dunham's talent is undeniable, but everyone in the UFC has talent. What separates the haves from the have nots is often the ability to perform under situations that would break average fighters. Dunham did this by shaking off the pressure of fighting at home and by matching his skills against a jiu-jitsu ace like Aurelio and finding a way to win.
UFC Fight Night – January 11, 2010 – Wsub3 Efrain Escudero
One of the things that have allowed the UFC to build its popularity among combat sports fans over the years is that you will see top prospects matched up against each other on a regular basis, something that is practically non-existent in boxing these days. On this night in Virginia, Dunham matched wits and fists with fellow unbeaten Efrain Escudero, The Ultimate Fighter season eight winner and a favorite in the bout. It was an exciting back and forth bout, but in the end, it was Dunham pulling out the win.
What He Said: "Honestly, in that fight, going into the third round, I felt that I had broken Escudero. I knew he gave me the best he had and I was still right in front of him. I think I pretty much got the second round and ended on top, socking him up, and I knew I had broken him. So it was just a matter of me stepping up and going in there and getting the job done. It was actually very rejuvenating and at the beginning of the third round, I felt great and ready to go."
What We Said: Unbeaten but unheralded Evan Dunham scored the biggest win of his young UFC career Monday night at the Patriot Center, moving to 3-0 in the organization with a come from behind third round submission victory over The Ultimate Fighter season eight winner Efrain Escudero, who suffered his first pro defeat in the UFC Fight Night co-feature.
The fight started at a fast pace, but neither fighter landed anything of consequence. That all changed in the second half of the frame, when a knee to the head by Escudero rocked Dunham. The Oregon prospect looked to clear his head, but Escudero kept firing off punches, eventually dropping his foe with a right hand. Escudero went in to finish, but Dunham recovered quickly and almost locked up a triangle choke. Escudero got free and responded with a guillotine attempt, but that was foiled as well.
Dunham began to find his range with his own strikes in the second round, and he kept tagging Escudero as he waded in. With a little over two minutes left, Dunham scored a takedown and then added more points with ground strikes before getting Escudero's back in the final minute, capping off a huge round with more punches.
With the bout up for grabs, Dunham came out fast for the final round, maybe a little too fast, as he got caught in a guillotine choke. After some tense moments, Dunham escaped, the two rose, and Dunham got a takedown. Escudero tried to escape, but Dunham wasn't about to let him free, eventually locking in a tight armbar. Escudero tried to find his way free, but it wasn't happening, and he was forced to tap out at 1:59 of the final round.
What It Meant: It's the old hammer and the nail adage, and despite getting the worst of things in the first round, Dunham showed the heart of a champion by clearing his head and coming back in rounds two and three, finishing the bout off in the final frame with an armbar that earned him Submission of the Night honors.
UFC 115 – June 12, 2010 – W3 Tyson Griffin
One of the first half of 2010's most highly anticipated bouts, Dunham had to alter his training camp and schedule to face his Xtreme Couture teammate Tyson Griffin. It could have been a recipe for disaster to have his entire schedule thrown into disarray, but Dunham took it in stride like a pro (are you noticing a theme here?), and he delivered on fight night via three round split decision.
What He Said: "We both trained with each other and are familiar with each other," he said. "I plan on going back to Xtreme after this fight, but it's not one of these things where Tyson and I have been training partners for five or six years or anything like that. We've had lots of battles in the gym and we know each other fairly well stylistically, and there is a bit of the teammate versus teammate stuff, but we haven't really trained together at all recently, so I'm sure there will be a couple new surprises."
What We Said: The wins keep getting bigger and bigger for rising lightweight star Evan Dunham, who kept his perfect record intact Saturday night at General Motors Place with a three round split decision win over highly-regarded contender Tyson Griffin in UFC 115 prelim action.
Scores were 30-27, 29-28, and 28-29 for Dunham, who improves to 11-0; Griffin falls to 14-3. The two previously trained together at Las Vegas' Xtreme Couture gym.
After a tentative opening, Dunham looked to take Griffin to the mat, but with an incredible display of balance, the Sacramento native hopped around on one leg, cracking Dunham with a right hand the whole way until his foe let go of his other leg. The exchange got both fighters in gear, and they traded solid punches and kicks, with Dunham holding the edge from long range, where he could use his height and reach advantage. With under two minutes left, Dunham was able to get Griffin to the mat, and he got his hooks in while looking for the rear naked choke. Griffin's defense was solid, and he still found the room to score with some punches to the face before the round ended.
In the first minute of round two, it was Griffin looking to take the fight to the mat, and he did, pulling guard while trying to sink in a guillotine choke. Dunham easily escaped and began working for a choke of his own before Griffin broke loose and they both stood. A Dunham takedown followed a few moments later, and he was able to take Griffin's back a second time. Griffin's defense was solid and he was able to rise to his feet with Dunham still on his back, but he was unable to shake the Oregon native, even after a forward slam to the mat.
Griffin and Dunham began the final round trading punches, much to the delight of the crowd. After a minute of standup, Griffin shot for the takedown but was turned back, and Dunham scored with two kicks before getting his opponent's back yet again. Griffin's response was identical to that of the round before, as he stood up and tried to shake Dunham. Dunham wasn't budging though as he tried to get in the finishing choke. It didn't happen, but his control throughout earned him the victory, his first since a January submission win over Efrain Escudero and fourth in the UFC.
What It Meant: In terms of significance, the victory was a big one for Dunham's career, and while it won't go into his time capsule for excitement, a win's a win, and Dunham's ability to grind out a win over a tough opponent and a friend spoke volumes.
UFC 119 – September 25, 2010 – L3 Sean Sherk
This was going to be the test, a fight against a former world champion and legitimate top-tier contender. And Dunham delivered on all counts against Sean Sherk despite coming up on the short end of a controversial three round split decision. And while Dunham won't claim any moral victories, anyone who saw the bout certainly wouldn't dub him the loser after the entertaining Fight of the Night showdown.
What He Said: "Sherk is a very tough and seasoned fighter, as well as a former champ. I remember watching him fight before I even started in the sport, so it is awesome that I get the chance to fight him. I have a ton of respect for the guy, but I know that with my work ethic and overall skills that I will be the victor in this fight."
What We Said: Evan Dunham may have suffered his first pro loss via split decision in an exciting 15 minute battle against former Sean Sherk, but his stock only rose in defeat, as he fought through a nasty cut over his right eye to almost finish the former UFC lightweight champion several times before the final bell rang.
The judges' unpopular verdict read 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Sherk, who improves to 38-4-1 in his first bout since May of 2009. Dunham falls to 11-1.
"I knew I had the first round, the second round was close, the third round was close," said Sherk. "I felt it could have gone either way."
Most in attendance booed the decision, letting it be known which way they wanted it to go, but what wasn't in question was the high-level display of mixed martial arts and heart both 155-pounders showed over three fast-paced rounds.
Sherk reintroduced himself to UFC fans in the first with one of his trademark slams, but almost got caught in a guillotine choke in the process. After a few tense moments, Sherk pulled himself out and used some ground strikes until Dunham worked his way back to his feet. Sherk sent him back to the mat again, but when Dunham got up, he was pulling out all the stops for a submission, and he almost caught the former champion again. But once Sherk broke loose, he unleashed more furious ground strikes, with one opening a cut over Dunham's right eye.
Hoping to not let the cut dictate the final result, Dunham came out fast for round two, again almost catching Sherk in a guillotine choke twice before 'The Muscle Shark' worked his way free. With under two minutes left, the two traded blows standing, and Dunham, blood staining his face, had success tagging his opponent with punches, kicks and knees, earning him the round.
Dunham opened the final frame by rocking Sherk with a shot to the head. He rushed in for the finished, but Sherk quickly recovered and bulled his foe into the fence. Dunham held his ground and got free and when he did, he was able to continue tagging Sherk from long range and in close. With under a minute left, Dunham staggered Sherk with a knee, but instead of fading, Sherk fired back, and the two went toe to toe until the bell, garnering a well-deserved standing ovation.
What It Meant: In spite of the final result, Dunham's performance against Sherk may have been his most impressive, as he pulled off numerous submission attempts, displayed solid standup, and showed no ill effects from dealing with a nasty cut over his eye. In essence, it was a dress rehearsal for a future title shot, and Dunham proved himself to be worthy of a starring role and not just an understudy position. If he keeps getting better, 2011 should be an interesting year, to say the least.