• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Homeย loans for Aussie expatsย 
        • image of domestic worker for story on advice on hiring a helper in Hong KongGuide to hiring a helper in Hong Kong
        • Expat life in Hong Kong - advantages and disadvantagesPros and cons of living in HK
        • Moving to Hong Kong - taking a photo of the viewTop tips for newcomers to Hong Kong
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • 9 family-friendly hikes in Hong Kong
        • What to watch โ€“ or listen to…
        • Great podcasts we are listening to!
        • Key Chinese events and festivals in Hong Kong - Chinese New YearTraditional Festivals & Events in HK
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
      • Kids Offers
        • Language courses for all the family
        • Where to get stylish kid-friendly mats
        • Does your child need a little extra help?
        • 12 tips for bathing newborn babies
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Dรฉcor
      • Readers Homes
        • Beautiful ginger jar lamps for your home
        • Where to get stylish kid-friendly mats
        • Taking the stress out of moving
        • Making Your Bedroom Eco-friendly
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • Top skiing destinations - Whistler, CanadaStunning ski stays in Europe and beyond
        • Mongolia - kidsA family adventure in Mongolia
        • Where to stay and what to do in Thailand - MerdekaQuick getaways: Where to go in Thailand
        • Best places to go shopping in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Meat-free meals: Quinoa Lentil Tabouleh5 meat-free meal ideas to try
        • Chocolate Tiffin - RecipeNo-bake Chocolate Tiffin Recipe
        • Fiamma Italian restaurant - tortelliniTaste Test: Peak Italian Cuisine at Fiamma
        • Cocktails - recipesCocktail recipes โ€“ make your own!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Paraben-free skincare for men!
        • Where to go for holiday pampering
        • Where to get eyelash extensions in Hong Kong - Eyelash ProWhere to get eyelash extensions
        • image of woman having eyebrows done for beauty services in Hong KongUltimate guide to HK beauty services
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • Home workout5 workout moves you can do at home
        • Central & Stanley Wellness - functional medicine treatmentFunctional medicine and how it helps
        • KAMA CBD OilWhat is CBD and can it help your health?
        • ATP - weight loss - fitness trainingBody makeover: an inspiring journey
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
      • Magazine
      • Advertise With Us
        • December โ€“ February 2021
        • DEC-FEB 2020 โ€“ $36 (USUAL PRICE $48)
        • City Guide 2020-2021
        • City Guide 2020-2021 – $28
      • View all
    Close
Home ยป Health & Fitness ยป How I won my first Muay Thai fight!

How I won my first Muay Thai fight!

22 January, 2020 by Expat Living 5 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/muay-thai-competition-sports-hong-kong-boxing/

Our very own Style & Beauty Editor ANTHIA CHNG recounts her experience of winning her first Muay Thai fight.

“I canโ€™t believe I did it. I won my first Muay Thai competition!”

The lead-up

Rewind back to a couple of months before the day. Iโ€™d been doing Muay Thai for about two years then one day during training, my coach came to me and asked if Iโ€™d like to compete. Now, if you know anything about Muay Thai (or martial arts, at least), competitions are never risk-free. I mean, the goal is to win, but everyone wants an impressive win by knockout. We decided that Iโ€™d first go through the fighter programme, leading up to the next competition in slightly over a month.

amateur muay thai singapore competition
A rare smiling shot taken post-training

I had to drop three kilos to meet my fight weight (53kg), but that wasn’t even the hardest bit. Two weeks into training, I’d already lost two kilos. I ate as per normal, only limiting my junk food and sugar intake. Oh, and I was also on an alcohol ban โ€“ now that was tough! Another challenge was making sure I didn’t lose too much strength in the process, as this would affect my performance during the fight. To help with that, I loaded up on my rest at night and ate healthier snacks before each training.

Letโ€™s talk about the training, or โ€œfight campโ€ as itโ€™s known. Itโ€™s called training for a reason; the aim is for you to be pushed to your limits, so each session only gets tougher. Have you ever done a workout where all you want to do is shout and cuss, then collapse in exhaustion? Imagine repeating that regime four times a week. The warm-up starts with a 5km run, followed by 20 minutes of non-stop skipping. After a series of drills including shadow-boxing, three rounds of pad-work and 200 sit-ups, the three-hour training finishes with sparring โ€“ the thing I dread most. Getting hit is no fun, but I had to face my fear if I wanted to survive in the ring.

Fight day

My teammates had warned me about it. Itโ€™s very common for first-time fighters to panic, they told me; so, your opponent will most likely charge at you and youโ€™ll forget everything the coach has said. Gee, thanks guys. Turns out they were right!

Anthia Chng training in gym
“What did I get myself into?”

Round one is scary. Flailing hands come at me and, as predicted, I forget practically everything my coach has told me. My opponent throws her fist from all angles imaginable โ€“ across, over, under. I am taken aback and eat plenty of punches without a firm defence. Not a great start.

The bell rings and Iโ€™m awoken from my state of shock. I return to my corner where my coach takes out my mouthguard, splashes water on me and gives me a pep talk. Rest time is a tight one minute before the bell rings again to signal the start of the second round.

Round two picks up with me landing more kicks, but my opponent dials up on her aggression, too. These become the longest two minutes of my life. I actually consider turning back to my coach and calling it a day, but the thought of disappointing everyone makes me shrug it off.

amateur Muay Thai competition
I landed more kicks in the second round

When youโ€™re in the ring, everything around you comes to a standstill. Itโ€™s as if time has frozen and your opponent is all you can see. Every sound is drowned out and all I can hear is my heavy breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Deep breaths, then repeat. For a brief moment, I look into my opponentโ€™s eyes and feel her fear. Yes, sis, me too.

Round three: itโ€™s all or nothing. Weโ€™re both exhausted by this point, but weโ€™re giving it our last shot, no less. Somehow, my mind clears up and I manage to discern a faint yet familiar voice of my coach amidst the hoo-ha. โ€œUse your knees!โ€ And so I do. I go in at every opportunity and aim my knee into my opponentโ€™s body, while suffering the brunt of her fists. Adrenaline kicks in and I press on.

โ€œIโ€™m still alive but Iโ€™m barely breathing…โ€

Iโ€™ve never truly understood the first line from hit song โ€œBreakevenโ€ by The Script, until the very moment I hear the final bell. Itโ€™s finally over. After three rounds of scuffling, Iโ€™m breathless and beaten but awake and alive in every sense. We gather to the middle and the judge announces the winner. โ€œFrom the blue cornerโ€ฆโ€ My hand is raised and my team erupts in cheers! The referee presents the medal to me and I walk down from the ring feeling like everything that has just happened is a dream. Itโ€™s surreal. Later on, I remember asking my coach if it was over, and repeatedly saying that I was done with fighting because of how tough it was.

winning fight

Is this it?

Iโ€™d sworn that this would be my first and last fight. My parents let out a sigh of relief too audible to ignore when they heard that. Mum wasnโ€™t very happy about me getting punched in the face. Understandably so, but kudos to her for watching the whole thing on my Instagram (recorded live by my fiancรฉ) without passing out!

My friends are sceptical, and rightly so. Who am I kidding? The training might be hellish but the adrenaline is addictive. However, I do have to think about my husband-to-be. Iโ€™m getting hitched in four months and nobody (especially him) would want to see a bride with a broken nose. So for now, Iโ€™m going to allow myself to be a sloth and eat cake all day.

At least until my Muay Thai coach looks me up again.

amateur muay thai singapore competition

Read more in our Health & Fitness section:

Men’s mental health: how to show our support
Mouth health: what you should know
Fun ways to be active with your kids

 

Categories: Fitness Health & Fitness Tags: boxing health and fitness Living In Hong Kong Muay Thai sports in Hong Kong

You May Also Like

Central & Stanley Wellness - functional medicine treatment

Functional medicine and how it helps

ATP - weight loss - fitness training

Body makeover: an inspiring journey

Managing Anger - MindNLife

Managing Anger in a Pandemic

Primary Sidebar

Editor's Picks

Kellett School

Best International Schools In Hong Kong, Preschool to Secondary

Furniture in Hong Kong: Guide To The Best Furniture Stores

sightseeing in Hong Kong

Top 30 Hong Kong Attractions & Best Places To Visit

Where to live in Hong Kong

Guide to Living in Hong Kong and where to live

Landing pads: places to stay in Hong Kong

Brunch in Hong Kong

Best Sunday Brunch Places in Hong Kong

What's On

Puccini's Turandot Opera

The MET’S “Nightly Met Opera Streams”

Students at Hong Kong Academy

Hong Kong Academy โ€“ Applications Open for 2021/22

CDNIS - Admissions

CDNIS Admissions Timetable: Apply Now for January and August 2021

Events & Weekend Activities - The Grounds is the city's first responsible entertainment destination

The Grounds: HK’s first ‘COVID-19 responsible’ entertainment destination

Elsa in scene from Frozen

FWD Presents: The Frozen Exhibition Hong Kong

You Rise art exhibition by JM Robert

โ€œYou Riseโ€ Solo Exhibition by JM Robert

Expat Living Hong Kong ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ฐ

expatlivinghk

Open
Thanks Julianna for this delicious 
Easy Blueberry Oreo Cheesecake to start the weekend!
Serves 4, or 2 if you're hungry๐Ÿ˜‰

Preparation time: 15 mins Ingredients:
โ€ข 6 digestive biscuits
โ€ข 50g butter 
โ€ข 250g cream cheese (1 brick) 
โ€ข 6 Oreo biscuits
โ€ข 125g blueberries (1 box)
โ€ข 100g milk or whipped cream 
โ€ข 5 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:
For crust:
1. Crush digestive biscuits in a big bowl and add melted butter.
2. Press together at the base of the cake mould.
3. Set aside to cool.

For filling: 
1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk or whipped cream on medium speed in a bowl until it is smooth and creamy. 
2. Add crushed Oreos and beat until they mix evenly. 
3. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
4. Freeze for two hours and top with blueberries!๐Ÿซ
Open
If youโ€™re looking for a place to live in Hong Kong - particularly if youโ€™re moving here and want an easy landing pad - a serviced apartment can be a godsend! @hongkongparkview is like a mini town with everything you need from a Clubhouse with full facilities to a toy shop, clothes and food shop! ๐Ÿž๐Ÿ›
Open
Read our Winter issue on any device for free ๐Ÿ‘‰ expatliving.hk/digital/ig.
Inside: Two inspiring home reno stories, great dining room furniture ideas, insider's guide to Hung Hom Bay and plenty of other great reads, including easy dessert recipes!
Open
How cool is this - Hong Kong-based @ovolohotels is the first hotel group to go entirely vegetarian across its restaurants, bars and food services for a year! ๐ŸŒฑThis move is the latest in the groupโ€™s series of eco-friendly initiatives, and doesnโ€™t this look delicious!๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป
Open
If weโ€™ve learnt anything this last year itโ€™s how much a magical view can do for your mind๐ŸŒฟThese are just some of the properties showcased by @knightfrank ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ Head to knightfrank.com.hk to see whatโ€™s currently available! ๐Ÿž
Open
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year from the team at @expatlivinghk โค๏ธ

๐Ÿ“ท @lailasophiashah
Open
Thereโ€™s been a buzz lately around CBD (Cannabidiol, derived from the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant) and its purported health benefits. 
Did you know itโ€™s available in Hong Kong? ๐ŸŒฟ

@kamacbdhk is a new HK-based company offering CBD products that can help a number of ailments, check out our article and their page for more information!๐ŸŒบ
Open
๐ŸŽ„ Merry Christmas everyone! It's been an extraordinary year and we're so grateful for your support. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season ๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿฅ‚
Open
This 1950s colonial-style walk up in Kowloon Tong has been styled so well by tenant Jerome, it is fascinating to hear about the place and itโ€™s history! For the full story and Jeromeโ€™s recommendations see our DEC-FEB issueโœจ๐Ÿ“–
Open
Whether youโ€™ve hiked up Old Peak Road or taken the tram, make sure youโ€™re hungry, as youโ€™ll want to consume most of the menu from @fiammahk ๐Ÿด๐Ÿ…
Open
5 steps for a stylish Christmas, courtesy of Hong Kong-based home furnishing retailer @indigo_living ๐ŸŽ„
 
#1 Decide on a Theme:
Every momentous Christmas feast begins with a stunning table-scape. Whether youโ€™re going for the classic red and green pairing or a contemporary setting, pick a theme that you can go all out with! 
 
#2 Organise Your Linen:
Generally speaking, a crisp white linen table-runner will do. But if youโ€™re looking to up the ante this year, go for one with subtle prints on it. 
 
#3 Choose a Centrepiece:
 A beautiful Christmas centrepiece is the fastest way to add cheer to your party. Itโ€™s also a great excuse to show off your creative flair to friends and family. 
 
#4 Invest in a Good Set of Tableware:
When it comes to tableware, most people play it safe with crystal glasses and porcelain plates. Why not take it up a notch by throwing a set of gold cutlery into the mix? Itโ€™s an instant pop of luxury that exudes warmth to traditional red and green themes. ๐Ÿด
 
#5 End with a Bang:
Whatโ€™s a Christmas dinner without some good old-fashioned crackers? Sure to put a smile on anyoneโ€™s faces, theyโ€™ll also ensure your party goes out with a bang! ๐Ÿ’ซ
Open
What a view ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ“ท @lailasophiashah
Open
Less than five days left to vote for your favourite businesses! You could win fun family staycays and dining vouchers, so make sure to vote today by visiting ๐Ÿ‘‰ expatliving.hk/readerschoice

.
#expatlivinghk #hkbusiness #hongkongbusiness #elhkreaderschoice #hkexpats
Open
Jazz up your dining area with these pretty picks!โšก๏ธ

Companies tagged in the photos for more details๐Ÿช‘
Open
Get ready for Christmas, CNY and beyond with these fab treatment packages now available at @amooma.spa โœจ

#1 BUBBLE & SPARKLE
A package for two, including an aroma steam shower, deep sleep tourmaline crystal massage, sparkling champagne facial and a glass of champagne ๐Ÿฅ‚

#2 HO! HO! HO! ITโ€™S ME-TIME!
Designed for one person, this me-time includes a ling organic forbidden rice scrub, ling nourishing body wrap, AMOONA signature blend and knesko gemological face mask ๐Ÿง–๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ
Open
How good do these look ๐Ÿ˜ New recipe from @charissa_and_co_wellness. You can try a free sample by scanning the bar code on our online articles ๐Ÿ’œ

Recipe: Flourless Pecan Cranberry Brownie

Ingredients

Brownie base:

2 servings of Nuzest Clean Lean Chocolate Protein
1.5 cup of pumpkin puree
1 cup of hazelnut butter or almond *
1/2 cup of raw dark cacao powder
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/3 cup of dehydrated cranberries
2 teaspoons of Manuka honey ** Optional
White chocolate drizzle:

1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
2 tablespoons of cashew nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons of Erythritol
Dark chocolate drizzle:

1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
2 tablespoons of cashew nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
3 tablespoons of raw dark cacao powder
1 teaspoon of Erythritol
Instructions

Brownie base:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Grease a square baking tray with coconut oil and line tray with parchment paper.
In a large blender, mix all the brownie ingredients together until smooth.
Pour the brownie mix into the pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once cooked, allow the brownies to cool on a rack.
Chocolate drizzle:

You will need two separate mixing bowls for the white and dark chocolate drizzle.
Melt the cacao butter at low temperature and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Pour the chocolate drizzle over the cooled brownies.
Pop them in the fridge to set or enjoy them as warm brownies.**
Optional: Sprinkle some fresh pomegranate and dried cranberry seeds onto the brownies (after cooling in the fridge for 20 minutes).
Open
TGIF ๐ŸŒฟ๐ŸŒฟ

๐Ÿ“ท @lailasophiashah
Open
In our new winter issue we take a look at Dutch expat Nicole Hessingโ€™s impressive home renovation in Clearwater Bay ๐Ÿก Check out the article for all her tips and local recommendations ๐Ÿ‘‰ expatliving.hk/digital/ig
Open
Good morning! Weโ€™ve got another delicious recipe from @charissa_and_co_wellness ๐Ÿ’•

Recipe: Persimmon Vanilla Chia Porridge

Serves 2

Ingredients

PERSIMMON-VANILLA-CHAI-PORRIDGE.jpg
Chia Vanilla Milky Layer:

1/2 cup of chia Seeds
1.5 cup of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 servings of Nuzest Clean Lean Protein Vanilla 
1 tablespoon of tahini paste
2 Medjool dates
2 slices of fresh persimmon
Persimmon Coconut Porridge Layer:

1 whole persimmon chopped
1/2 cup of coconut yoghurt
2 tablespoons of coconut flakes
1 teaspoon of almond butter
Instructions

Chia Vanilla Milky Layer:

Blend all the ingredients together apart from the chia seeds.
Once the mix is well blended, add the chia seeds and mix well. Place in a glass jar and leave overnight in the fridge.
Persimmon Coconut Porridge Layer:

Blend all the ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Place in a glass jar, leave overnight in the fridge.
The next morning you can enjoy your porridge by layering your chia porridge with the persimmon porridge.
Optional: Add in between crunchy texture by sprinkling some raw buckwheat groats already activated or quinoa puffs
Open
Pre-order your copy of the Winter issue here! ๐Ÿ‘‰ expatliving.hk/mag/ig
Inside this issue: Great festive dinner options, Christmas gift ideas for everyone, a guide to furnishing your dining room, travel tips to Singapore, plus plenty more great reads!

.
#expatlivingsg #ighk #christmasinhk #hkexpats #hongkong
  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2021 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.