I presume you've found your way to this blog through the Knockout Cats main site. If not, then it's possible that you've made a wrong turn somewhere, and you'll likely be a bit shocked if you visit that link (spoiler: it's generally NSFW).
Knockout Cats is a site that produces videos of scripted female vs. female fights, and for the most part, the wardrobe worn by the attractive actors can probably be considered... well... 'minimalist.' There's nothing particularly explicit in the videos - no nudity, no sexual activities - but the content is intended for a somewhat mature audience ("mature" in terms of age, not necessarily in terms of personal behavior or conduct).
So how did some rando such as myself become involved in producing Knockout Cats?
Well, it's hard to say where my initial intrigue began, but one of the first catfights that I can recall watching was probably an episode of the Popeye cartoon that was produced several decades before I was born.
I also recall a real-life event in 1st or 2nd grade where two girls from my class were involved in a grappling fight on the playground. It was a pretty one-sided affair, ending up with one of them restraining the other in something resembling a schoolgirl pin.
At the time, I'm sure neither fight made a particularly significant impression on me, but somehow, the memories remain engrained in my mind.
It's possible that the rarity of seeing two females fighting was what may have sparked my interest in the subject. Coupled with the perception that societal standards had deemed it "not particularly lady-like," I feel like the taboo surrounding women's hand-to-hand combat also fueled my intrigue. It combines seemingly contrasting behavior: graceful feminine mannerisms with primal physical aggression and competition.
Alright, fast-forward to about 2015. My friends had all paired up and gotten married while I had failed miserably at finding any semblence of a partner. I found myself feeling out of place at friends' events which had become increasingly tailored to couples and families. My nights and weekends began to be devoid of social activity (that's a story for a different time), and I struggled to befriend new acquaintences.
My solution was to find a new hobby or start a new project that would occupy my free time while providing an opportunity to meet new people. I tried guitar and ukelele lessons, meetups for video game development, oil painting classes, and digital graphic design courses, among other things. The hobbies didn't really stick, and I wasn't particularly connecting with anybody.
After reviewing some of my interests, the idea of producing female fight videos started to take hold. It dealt with technology, creativity, learning new things, and working with people I admired. It ticked all the right checkboxes:
- Software development (website, server-side programming)
- Video production and editing (which I was interested in learning)
- Graphic design
- Writing scripts and fight choreography
- Buying new toys (camera, lights, editing software, props, attire)
- Beautiful women fighting other beautiful women
First things first, I enrolled in a video production and editing class. I didn't want to appear totally clueless for shoots. The class focused on working with a production team where each individual performed a distinct role. This wasn't exactly how I expected to operate, but nonetheless, a lot was learned over the course of several weeks.
Once the class was complete and the video equipment was procured, it was time to book a shoot. The intent was to initially work with ladies that had prior experience performing staged female fighting. The idea was that they'd need little direction and they'd already be familiar and comfortable with creating the content we'd be filming. Lucky for me, Miss Ashley Wildcat was also a resident in Chicago at the time, and I am forever grateful that she was willing to work with an aspiring producer that hadn't had a single shoot under his(my) belt. The cherry on top: she had already arranged to be working with Mizz Amanda Marie, and she already had a venue for the shoot.
Suffice it to say, the shoot was a fantastic success in my eyes, and both beatiful young ladies made the experience enjoyable, productive, and memorable. The first shoot was in the books and the journey for Knockout Cats had begun.