Training in what is commonly known as a male-dominated sport, the number of women has been steadily growing.
We spoke to Joey from Lefit Muay Thai, who told us all about her experience and her favourite parts of the sport. Having donned a pair of pink boxing gloves, Joey, a formidable opponent in the ring, said that she had always wanted to train in a martial art discipline since she was a young girl.
However, she was never given the opportunity because of “Asian parents, who tend to be more sceptical about girls picking up such violent sports”.
Training in a mixed-gender environment, Joey said that she initially had to train with men a lot because of the lack of women. However, she added that at Lefit she had met many other like-minded women from all walks of life.
Muay Thai, also referred to as “Thai boxing” is a martial art and combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the “art of eight limbs” as it is characterised by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
The increasing number of women training in Muay Thai can probably be attributed to how good it is at helping one to de-stress, Joey said, adding that it is also an effective way to lose weight.
Her favourite part of the sport? The satisfaction that comes from completing a workout after giving herself “a last push” despite being exhausted. Although Joey joked, a downside was ending up with a pile of “really smelly [gym] clothes” for someone like herself who only did the laundry once a week! /TISG