After the birth of her second child, Zenab was at one of the lowest points of her life. She was struggling with PTSD following a traumatic birthing experience and felt disconnected from herself. Then, at four months postpartum, her husband encouraged her to try Brazilian jiujitsu. Growing up in a Pakistani household in Canada, Zenab says, “Sports [were] not something that were seen as necessary. It was more like a nuisance.” But with her husband already involved in jiujitsu himself, Zenab decided to give it a shot. It was a life-changer, and Zenab — who requested Mic not share her last name — is now an accomplished competitor and gym owner in Calgary, Canada. But her athletic career nearly ended before it began because of one thing: her hijab.
As a woman who wears a hijab, taking up a sport based on grappling, a type of hand-to-hand combat where you grab your opponent, and ground fighting came with a significant obstacle: “One of my biggest concerns when I started jiujitsu was, ‘How am I supposed to keep the hijab on my head?’” Zenab, who now co-owns Affinity Academy of Martial Arts with her husband, says.
