Fight the flab - literally

Having conquered the running phobia and achieving distances without struggle, it was time to challenge my body and experience a bit of cultural activity by introducing myself to the world of Muay Thai (Thai boxing).  After having drilled into me that using running as the only form of exercise is “no good for your joints” or “you will tense up” I acted on the advice as assumed it was given for a reason.

Usually the opportunity to surround oneself with half naked male athletes would have me arrive to an event overtly grinning and quite optimistic. Dressed in boxing shorts and stripped of all accessories however, I slowly edged my way into the open space which consisted of a ring, a row of punch bags, a few tires, who knows what for, and a huge mat space. After explaining far too many times I was just here for exercise and did NOT want to fight, the trainer, who was just a little taller than me, weighing about 50 kilos with an estimated 0% body fat, smiled and said “no problem.” Great.

Firstly, I was sent around the block for a sprint session - to warm up! 20 minutes later, hands on my knees, there was no time to catch my breath as I was put in the corner of the ring and told to do 200 jump knees. After being given a demonstration I completed the task and observed that there was no lenience, even for beginners. With my hands bound in wraps and weighed down in a pair of 8oz gloves, an instructor stuck by me the whole time as I was taught to shadow box, use the bag and hit and kick pads. While my technique was terrible, the trainers remained patient yet not naïve to my feeble attempts at trying to catch a breather at any opportunity.

As fans of active rest, after each three-minute round of activity we were granted a one-minute rest period in which press-ups and sit-ups were recommended.  Other trainers came around with water and nods of encouragement as two hours went by. Finishing the session, the group came together for a bit of circle time in which we were each asked to volunteer an abdominal exercise and a stretch before passing out as we were finally allowed to rest.

Considering the amount of testosterone around me as the only female, the regular ladies were having a rest day conveniently, I felt at ease as everyone focused on the tasks set. It felt that if I had stripped naked, the only acknowledgment would have been a disgruntled murmur at the disturbance in their training. 

The dedication from all was inspiring and afterwards everyone continued chatting and sharing life experiences outside of boxing. Training twice a day, three hours each session the group seemed pretty close and seemed to have a great social network, not afraid of letting others in.

Although after my first session I was still able to communicate, I do not think that the intense training schedule of a Muay Thai fighter is for me. I would however, definitely return for an occasional session to increase my heart rate beyond its maximum, and not forgetting the ability to bond with a group of sweaty, cut guys either!