Mama Said Knock You Out: Jennifer Salinas

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JENNIFER SALINAS IS a petite, 123-pound, 26-year-old mother of two. And she'd love to shove a fist into your skull.

Why the passion for boxing? "I don't mind pain, and I like causing pain," explains the featherweight, who'll be making her return to the ring this Saturday night at the Patriot Center ($20-$500, Ticketmaster.com) after a two-year maternity leave. Expect a punchy match: "There will be blows from the get-go. We don't take our sweet time like men."

Whether or not she accumulates another career knockout — she's already racked up three — she'll certainly win over folks who didn't think a little lady could jab-hook like that. Salinas has already convinced her students at the Chantilly and Reston branches of L.A. Boxing, where she's the only female instructor.

"It's motivating for them to see me," say Salinas, even though few of her students have dreams of competing themselves. Mostly, they're interested in self-defense and getting in shape.

And Salinas is also a darn good role model for the latter. She credits her boxing training with keeping her in fighting form — four hours of exercise a day (including cardio, loads of abs work and sparring with male partners) tends to buff up one's body even through two pregnancies.

Now that's one mom you don't want to mess with.

Photo courtesy Jennifer Salinas